Government Operations Committee on Nov. 19th, 2009

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mrs. MacPherson, good morning. It is always a pleasure to see you before the Committee.

Mr. Kennedy, good morning. It hasn't been very long since you were with us last.

If I may, Mrs. MacPherson, my question is for Mr. Kennedy.

I admit that I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the roles and the different measures you have taken regarding advertising as far as the Economic Action Plan is concerned. You were here a couple of weeks ago with Ms. d'Auray, who, as you said, is Secretary of the Treasury Board.

Ms. d'Auray said, after I asked three or four questions, that there is no government-wide planning in connection with the government's Economic Action Plan. I have her evidence in front of me, and that is what she said. She was very clear and explained to us that most of the communication initiatives are an integral part of each department's and agency's programs.

At no time did you set the facts straight. However, you did tell us that the Privy Council "has prepared a signage guide that the departments must follow when they make signage decisions", regarding the type of signage used and so on.

However, at the beginning of her statement, Mrs. MacPherson said that there is a a second request for $3.9 million that will be used to support the implementation and coordination of a government-wide communication strategy for the Economic Action Plan. She expressed the view that there is an integrated government-wide communication strategy for the Economic Action Plan.

Explain to me why you did not mention that two weeks ago even though I tried to get you to say it. We are finding out today that there is a government-wide communication strategy.

[Simon Kennedy]

Thank you for the question. I could perhaps begin by explaining the roles and responsibilities of departments and deputy ministers and the role and responsibility of the Privy Council Office regarding communications.

Obviously, and it's the same with policy, ministers, departments and deputy ministers are responsible for their own programs. The minister responsible for infrastructure is the minister responsible for the program and the minister responsible for developing all communications , that is, preparing press releases and advertising, etc.

However, for several years, coordination of the department's activities has been one of the roles of the Privy Council Office. I myself manage a team of a hundred people who have been there a long time helping coordinate departments' communications. It makes sense. For example, if the Prime Minister announces something very important, we don't want other ministers making a different announcement the same day in the same city.

There is therefore a role to coordinate activities. It is also important to ensure that departments work together as a team. That is the role of the Privy Council Office. The Privy Council Office is not responsible for communications, but it does have a coordinating role to ensure that everyone is organized.

I have my own team, but because the Economic Action Plan requires more advertising, more communication activities, it was necessary to get some help from more people for a set period in order to ensure coordination. That is the difference between the two.

If the members of the Committee are interested, I can give you an idea of how the money we are talking about today is spent.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

We will see in a bit how the money is spent.

I doubt this is the first time or the first year the Privy Council Office has had to coordinate communications for departments. You told me you need staff to coordinate all of the departments' announcements. I have no problem with that, but the fact remains that you are asking for a lot of money. It seemed to me, based on what Ms. d'Auray was telling us, that there is already a mechanism in place that would allow the government to communicate in any circumstances. Plans have been put forward in previous years, but perhaps not on the same scale. Ms. d'Auray seemed to be saying that in previous years, they managed to meet the demand.

How is it that in this particular year you are asking for so much money? I would like you to justify the number. It is quite extraordinary.

[Simon Kennedy]

Thank you.

As I was saying, the amount requested will be used to manage the coordination process. For example, departments work together on advertising so that the same model is used. The idea is to ensure that advertising works, that Canadians get the information, etc. A portion of the amount we are discussing today will be used for a survey designed to check every six months whether the advertising is doing the job. The English term is "baseline survey".

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

I hate to interrupt, but I wanted to ask you, before you continue with your explanation, if you're telling me that the government is doing a survey to determine whether people know that it is spending money under the Economic Action Plan. Is that correct? Explain it to me and be very specific, because if that is the case, the survey may be biased in the end.

[Simon Kennedy]

Mr. Chair, I would like to make it clear that survey results are part of the government's policy. It may be a regulation. Results have to be released every six months. That is certainly the case here. The purpose of the initiatives I have described is to ensure that communication focuses on the right objectives so that Canadians get the information they need to benefit from the Economic Action Plan.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Thank you very much.

We are now going to go to Mr. Gourde of the Conservative Party.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

I commend you, Mr. Chair, on your French.

I would like to get back to the coordination of communications and information. My understanding is that communications and information come from the different departments. The Privy Council handles distribution through the Web site and newspapers. Tell me where and how you convey that information.

[Simon Kennedy]

There are several aspects to coordination. First, the aim is to give advice on a given subject to the department that wants to make announcements. The departments prepare the press releases and so on, and the Privy Council Office works with the departments to ensure that everything is in order. As far as the announcements go, we work with the departments to coordinate the events.

Second, there is the question of surveys and research on public opinion. There is a central process in the government for doing that. The goal of that process is to ensure that not a lot is spent, that the amounts spent across the government are reasonable for Canadians. There is a process for choosing the companies that help us with these surveys. The role of the Privy Council Office is to ensure that all departments follow that process. The process is set by the government. Everyone has to follow it, and the Privy Council Office plays a role in that regard.

Third, the Privy Council Office plans a role in analysing media repoerts, what the media are saying. A group in the Privy Council Office analyses media coverage and submits reports to the government on the content.

Fourth, there is also the Web site. Normally, each department is responsible for its own Web site. In the case of the Economic Action Plan, there is a central Web site for the government. All departments provide content for the Web site. Each department produces its own documents, but the Privy Council Office manages the Web site. This is another way of coordinating communications. So the Privy Council Office coordinates announcements, advertising, public opinion research and, in the case of the Economic Action Plan, it also handles the Web site. That is a role it has played for a long time. There is nothing unusual about the fact that for a long time, the Privy Council Office has played that role in order to ensure that government communication is coordinated and consistent. I don't know if that answers your question. Those are the different aspects of our role.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

When you analyse media reports, is it a value-for-money analysis? If the Privy Council invests more in one medium than another to gauge penetration among the Canadian public, are able to tell whether one medium is more effective than another?

[Simon Kennedy]

I'm sorry, I didn't understand the question.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

When you choose different forms of presenting information between the Web site, newspapers, radio or television, are you able to determine which form is most profitable for Canadians, in terms of both cost and market penetration?

[Simon Kennedy]

Thank you for your question. We want to be sure that communication is as effective as possible. We do do some analysis to make sure we are using the media that have the greatest impact. However, that is not the real purpose of media analysis. We do not use media analysis to choose a form or advertising. There are companies that specialize in advertising. They provide advice on these matters.

For example, take the renovation credit — as I said the last time I appeared before this committee —, we hired an advertising firm with expertise in that area and they advised the government as to the regions which had the most houses that could take advantage of the initiative. That is where we focused our energy when it came to advertising. It has nothing to do with media analysis. It's a specialized firm that does the research itself in order to determine for its clients which forms of advertising work best. I don't know if that answers your question.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

You're telling us that advertising was done for the renovation credits. Did you think it paid off? Did it encourage Canadians to spend because of the credit and warrant the cost of the advertising?

[Simon Kennedy]

As far as the credit is concerned, we have to wait for the new year, after the 2010 tax year, to gauge the results. Our sense is that more people are using the credit, but it will be six months before the numbers are available to determine the exact impact. However, the sense is that a lot of people are using it. Still, I don't have the numbers.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

That's all for me, Mr. Chair.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Okay.

We'll move on to the Liberal Party of Canada again. Ms. Martha Hall Findlay, for five minutes.

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you. I'll be sharing with my colleague Dr. Duncan.

Very quickly, you mentioned branding. I have just a couple of quick questions. Did you hire an outside company to help establish the brand? If so, can you identify that company or companies? Third, would you be willing to share with us or perhaps table the policy directions or the requirements that you were looking for in a branding exercise for the overall communications of the economic action plan?

[Simon Kennedy]

Thank you for the question.

We certainly engaged a graphic design firm to produce the brand.

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

No, to develop the actual...not just to design it, but with the look and feel, and the reasons you wanted a brand, and the type of branding that you wanted. Did you engage somebody else?

[Simon Kennedy]

I would have to get back to the committee with a more formal response on that.

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Okay.

Can you tell us what company you engaged to help with that?

[Simon Kennedy]

Again, I would have to get back to the committee.

Over the course of the last number of years, there have been a number of firms engaged in various capacities. I don't have the information handy, but I'd be happy to get back with a response.

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

If you could, that would be great. Specifically, a firm that might have been engaged to understand the policy direction for a new brand would be very helpful.

And the third is information on what that policy direction might have been—what the government was looking for in a brand. I know from business that when you want to market something, you give direction to the people--we want to accomplish A, B, and C. It would be very helpful if we could have the details on what was being looked for in that branding exercise.

[Simon Kennedy]

Mr. Chair, I could certainly get back to the committee on the question.