Public Affairs Bureau

Strategic Context

The past year has seen many gains in proactively communicating key priorities with province-wide audiences through comprehensive programs supporting international trade, BC Parks, ActNow BC, the Conversation on Health, the Budget Consultation process, forest fire prevention and the successful summer domestic tourism initiative (Best Place on Earth). The Bureau will seek to build on these and other key cross government priorities to maximize reach and awareness (through cross promotion) while effectively utilizing human and financial resources.

Looking ahead, the Public Affairs Bureau will work to keep British Columbians, Canadians and citizens of the world well informed about the province’s policies, benefits, programs and services.

Continuing to support issues management and the use of traditional communications tools, the Bureau will continue to seek a balance between reactive issues management and strategic, proactive communications messaging. While issues management is critical to protecting the reputation of government, providing our key audiences with proactive and balanced information is central to enhancing public confidence and awareness.

The ability to create proactive strategies which link to the Five Great Goals and straddle cross government priorities will be essential to the management of risk, maximizing the full potential of the professional skills in the Bureau team and the creation of opportunities to serve and inform citizens. There will be communications research, planning, input into major submissions and policies so that proactive strategies can be developed.

The Bureau’s commitment to providing the best service possible while responding to a wide range of demands in support of multiple high priority government commitments (for example, capital project announcements for schools, hospitals and transportation links including Pacific Gateway; international marketing; Climate Action, B.C.’s 150th Anniversary; the Children’s Education Fund; and, health care initiatives) is an ongoing challenge.

There is an opportunity to achieve some very real gains using communications to reach out to the grassroots of our communities and to strengthen our relationship with the media not only in the regional markets of British Columbia but across North America and around the world. Given the competition in the market place to “attract the public’s eye and ear,” we must continue to use and develop new, innovative techniques and technologies to reach our target audiences whether at the grassroots of our communities or international investors.