2. Formation of the strategic communication architecture of the State
| Commitment Start and End Date: | 12.2022 - 06.2024 |
| Lead implementing agency: | Prime Minister's Office |
| Person responsible from implementing agency: | Office of the Prime Minister |
| Title, Department: | Office of the Prime Minister |
| Email: | lilia.afrikyan@gov.am |
| Phone: | +37410515767 |
Other actors involved
Other state actors involved
Office of Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, Government bodies
Civil society, private sector
Freedom of Information Center
"Public Journalism Club"
"K.E.T." NGO
Other NGOs and organizations
National Assembly
Issue subject to regulation
What problem does the commitment aim to address?
1. There are numerous structural and content-specific problems in the field of information and public communication policy of the State, which leads to an insufficient and improper level of awareness of State policies pursued, emergence of communication gaps and vacuum with different layers of society. Modern opportunities for communication management and information dissemination also pose significant risks in terms of state communication security, particularly when the open virtual domain is full of information noise and almost uncontrollable volume and dynamics of manipulative information.
This problem became particularly apparent during the pandemic (Covid-19) and the war and afterwards. Due to the circumstances arising during crises, the quick response requires an early thought-out and developed communication strategy, and a high level of awareness and preparedness by the population. The untimely and incomplete information gave rise to provocations, increase in misinformation, and decrease in confidence in the State.
As a result of taking into account the above-mentioned:
1. An importance was attached to the effective and inclusive communication which will enable the public and interested parties to understand the situation in crisis situations, respond correctly to manipulative speculations, quickly identify fake information on social networks and recognize the official sources. The mechanisms, responsibilities and framework of accountability of high-ranking officials, state administration and local self-government bodies are not defined in the Republic of Armenia as well.
2. On the other hand, for ensuring the transparency and accessibility of the processes, as well as for increasing confidence in the Government, quick spread of coordinated information to target groups and to wide ranges of the public is important for the State.
3. In this case, it is important to form an institutional public communication mechanism, which implies coordinated public discussions, meetings, quick access to target groups, development of CSO capacities and ensuring inclusiveness.
These issues and challenges exist both in relations between executive bodies and citizens, and in relations between local self-government bodies and citizens.
Main objective
Develop the conceptual foundations of strategic communication and information policy of the State, modernize the functional system of institutional management and introduce innovative models to the policies pursued by the State, communication with the public, public awareness policy, information delivering processes through the planning and implementation of strategic communication.
Expected outputs
✓ proactive and clearly planned awareness mechanisms regarding state activities and public policies will be approved
✓ formation of procedures /protocols/ for strategic communication management and process co-ordination in various emergency situations will be approved
✓ appropriate state response mechanisms to the spread of manipulative information, misinformation and false information will be established and introduced
✓ the functional and institutional system of strategic communication of the Government of the Republic of Armenia will be updated.
Brief description of commitment
Develop the conceptual foundations of strategic communication and information policy of the State, modernize the functional system of institutional management and introduce innovative models to the policies pursued by the State, communication with the public, public awareness policy, information delivering processes through the planning and implementation of strategic communication.
OGP challenge addressed by the commitment
✓ proactive and clearly planned awareness mechanisms regarding state activities and public policies will be approved
✓ formation of procedures /protocols/ for strategic communication management and process co-ordination in various emergency situations will be approved
✓ appropriate state response mechanisms to the spread of manipulative information, misinformation and false information will be established and introduced
✓ the functional and institutional system of strategic communication of the Government of the Republic of Armenia will be updated.
Relevance to OGP values
1. How will the commitment promote transparency?
The implementation of the commitment will contribute to the increase of transparency by delivering sufficient and proper, timely information about the State and through the elimination of communication gaps between the public and different layers.
2. How will the commitment help foster accountability?
The communication document will contribute to the increase of the accountability of State authorities, including high-ranking officials, by providing periodic and comprehensive information.
3. How will the commitment improve citizen participation in defining, implementing, and monitoring solutions?
Determination of communication architecture will form a new culture of public communication and awareness. Citizens and different public segments carrying out activities will be informed in a timely and appropriate manner about the information regarding individual policies, reforms, and services envisaged for them. Besides, they will be provided with proper information and training on the rules of conduct in emergency situations. The regulation of the field of public communication will contribute to the formation of a public position based on official information, the development of the capacities of professional organizations and CSOs, the creation of a State-citizen strong connection, as well as it will contribute to the increase of media literacy.
Ambition
Upon carrying out the commitment:
(1) Determination of public strategic communication architecture will be followed by the definition of strategic and conceptual principles of information policy. Definition of communication goals, directions, and powers for the Government and individual bodies will become primary.
(2) The core of the architecture is the identification and formation of a central body ensuring co-ordination between different institutions, as well as the definition of horizontal co-ordination mechanisms between institutions.
(3) The goal of communication policy and institutional architecture should be proactively informing the public and not responding.
(4) It is necessary to develop unified approaches and guidelines for work and communication with mass media, including those for rules of conduct and protocol.
(5) Introduction of an innovative model of public communication in the central government system (defining the venue, methodology and mechanism).
As a final result, it is expected to introduce a strategic public communication implementation strategy at all levels of the public administration system which will make the connection with the public stronger, feedback mechanisms, effective channels for delivering messages to the public, quick response tools and digital solutions will be established, that will work synchronously and will transform the communication into an automated institutional system.
Potential Impact:
Implementation status
UN Goals
«ԲԱՑ ԿԱՌԱՎԱՐՄԱՆ ԳՈՐԾԸՆԿԵՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ» ՆԱԽԱՁԵՌՆՈՒԹՅԱՆ ՇՐՋԱՆԱԿՆԵՐՈՒՄ ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆԻ ՀԱՆՐԱՊԵՏՈՒԹՅԱՆ 2022-2024 ԹՎԱԿԱՆՆԵՐԻ ԳՈՐԾՈՂՈՒԹՅՈՒՆՆԵՐԻ ԾՐԱԳԻՐԸ