The future of communications: insights from OECD Public Scan
Government communication leaders came together last week to share how GCS experiences and OECD recommendations provide insights for communicators around the world.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published its Public Communication Scan of the United Kingdom on 8 February 2024. The report was the first of its kind for an OECD Member country.
Launching the Scan
At an event marked to launch the OECD Public Communication Scan of the United Kingdom, 60 participants ranging from UK Government Directors of Communications (some of which were interviewed as part of the Scan process) to think tanks, independent bodies came together. The launch event shared highlights from the Scan and facilitated panel discussions on the key themes emerging. This included the future of communications in supporting policy, democracy and trust; and the role of innovation in supporting this.
Simon Baugh, Chief Executive of the Government Communication Service (GCS), delivered a speech at the launch event. His speech offered reflections in response to the Scan’s key findings and recommendations, whilst also reflecting on the progress GCS has made over the past couple of years. Read Simon’s speech in full.
The Scan
This Public Communication Scan of the United Kingdom analyses how the UK Government Communication Service (GCS) is building a more effective communication function amid challenges to the information ecosystem. It considers how GCS can help make policymaking more responsive to citizens’ needs. Overall, the analysis and recommendations in the Scan highlight opportunities for GCS to align ongoing communication reforms with actions to promote more inclusive and people-centred communication that contributes to greater engagement, improved public trust, and better policy outcomes.
At a glance
- GCS has built a mature and professional function: it is investing in the right priorities to upskill its people and harness innovation to its advantage. This has earned GCS recognition and puts it in a favourable position to pursue more ambitious goals.
- Communicators have the potential to help improve policy outcomes and address the causes of low trust in institutions. They can do so by enabling a feedback loop with citizens and making policy more responsive to their preferences. GCS is well positioned to lead at the frontier of this field.
- The operating environment for communicators has become highly challenging and trustworthiness is a prerequisite to succeed. There are steps GCS can take to overcome legacy perceptions of politicisation and maintain the social licence to use new technologies and methods for the public good.
Read the Scan in full on OECD’s website.
- Image credit:
- Cabinet Office (1)