Hi Everyone
Oh my God; It has been a hectic week especially within the office. Despite the fact that I have changed companies from private to government; protocol is totally different.
On Monday we were busy with employee relations & work plan within our department. I was much involved on helping the team on framing their strategies of each member's position.Also on knowing exactly what they should carry out; implementation. This is to say that; the ministry as well as the government is concerned on what is identified as DELIVERY within all our 7 departments. In our department, we have Director and and senior officers by their positions within each department. I take my supervisor as PR practitioners but he is also a Senior Waste management Officer ; Although we have this other officers who are not looking into PR, they play a role within decisions taken in our Public Relations office, even the Director need to be informed.
Same like in private companies, any successful public relations depends heavily on coordination with other departments within the company, and with staff within the organization. In our ministry (Organization), everyone within all this 7 departments, it is imperative that they comprehend its priorities and mission so that all we reflect the same agenda. Although I'm under department of waste management and pollution control, Public relations is within department, We could be working on the same program, or issue and cross purposes. To give you a hint; other departments are forestry and range resources, environmental affairs, wildlife and national parks etc. All these departments, Public relations practitioners are within those departments.
To continue with, during this week, I wrote a proposal which my supervisor asked me to do as a way of recommending my suggestion towards the upcoming communication plan for the department. This plan was focusing on environmental pollution which result from inappropriate and inadequate waste management in Botswana.
Some of my suggestion in my proposal was to develop and implement public education awareness strategy that can sensitize the public on environmental issues. Also, I recommended that it can be effective if the department can participate and contribute much on the design and development of schools environmental curriculum in Botswana. As a result, all students from primary, secondary schools can be more aware at an early stage towards knowing the danger of environmental pollution. I strongly suggested that massive evaluation should be used as a way to see the success . From the 1st of February, all our office team will have time to compile everything and try to see what else we can suggest in communication plan for 2010.
Well, today Friday 29th, we had a meeting this morning for our e-gov portal and website which i joined the project team; we talked on how to bring modifications on the web and easy use as well as on how to train all employees within the ministry on how to access and retrieve necessary information as well as updating the media on recent activities, information taking place within the ministry at large.
Lastly on work part, i would like to say that in Public Relations; its not about how big the organization or small is; activities matters. The first step in successfully communicating with the public is developing a plan for bringing out your message. Your message is your theme with an objective such as to persuade someone to do something or to support something, which is my desire to do this while I'm under this department. Which is why communication plan is our road map to reach our destination.
Lastly, "Thank God its Friday"! We are having come together session this evening at one of the officer's house, this is a way to demonstrate a pleasing employee relations. I can't wait to knock off; it has been a productive week and I really appreciate the team work within this department. I learn a lot from them and they get the best out of me.
Have smashing weekend and I bless you
Tefo Linchwe
LUCT
3 comments:
I have just finished my placement at the Department for Communities in Perth so I could relate to your blog entry regarding work in the Government sector.
With so many people working for one department, I agree that they all have to carry out actions aligned with the organisation's mission and objectives.
Working for the Government was hard work but very rewarding at the end.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your time there.
Mei (Curtin Bentley)
I would like to support your point with the statement, PR in government differ in Private, first I would like to say they differ when firstly we know most of private organizations aim to make profit, I am not saying all but the majority, since I am doing my internship in a government owned department, their major aim is not to make profit but rather to secure the rights of an employee, so that they can be good relations between the employer and the employee. With the knowledge I have in PR companies especially private can use what is known as ‘spin doctoring’ this can be done in favor of the company. This can help the company get a better reputation, since it’s the Pr duty he can easily convince or persuade clients. I would continue to say Pr in both sectors usually handles the media part such as press release, reports, e.t.c. since they are known to be well trained not to ruin the reputation of the organization. Again in private organization, mostly practice CSR (Cooperate social responsibity); I am not saying government organizations don’t do it, but mostly in Botswana is done by private companies, so I personally think they do it to build a good reputation in the eyes of the public. A good example of a company doing Cooperate social responsibility in Botswana is Orange, this means giving back to the community by sponsoring Botswana National football team, comparing it with a government organization, Labour organization, where I did my attachment they also do Social Responsibility, but it’s not in large scale of money like in private organization. These really clarifies that private are concerned more than government organization in building the reputation of their organizations.
I will conclude by saying PR in Private organization will differ in government one because their major aim may be to make profit, therefore the employees in a private company will always want to satisfy or persuade clients that they are the best, and mostly private companies will face competition with other private companies while government organizations do have less competition or sometimes no competition at all, for example Labour department is the only government organizations dealing with Labour issues, and no Private company doing the same duty nor government organization.
By Robert Daniel Magwabu LUCT Malaysia (Cyberjaya campus)
I would like to support your point with the statement, PR in government differ in Private, first I would like to say they differ when firstly we know most of private organizations aim to make profit, I am not saying all but the majority, since I am doing my internship in a government owned department, their major aim is not to make profit but rather to secure the rights of an employee, so that they can be good relations between the employer and the employee. With the knowledge I have in PR companies especially private can use what is known as ‘spin doctoring’ this can be done in favor of the company. This can help the company get a better reputation, since it’s the Pr duty he can easily convince or persuade clients. I would continue to say Pr in both sectors usually handles the media part such as press release, reports, e.t.c. since they are known to be well trained not to ruin the reputation of the organization. Again in private organization, mostly practice CSR (Cooperate social responsibity); I am not saying government organizations don’t do it, but mostly in Botswana is done by private companies, so I personally think they do it to build a good reputation in the eyes of the public. A good example of a company doing Cooperate social responsibility in Botswana is Orange, this means giving back to the community by sponsoring Botswana National football team, comparing it with a government organization, Labour organization, where I did my attachment they also do Social Responsibility, but it’s not in large scale of money like in private organization. These really clarifies that private are concerned more than government organization in building the reputation of their organizations.
I will conclude by saying PR in Private organization will differ in government one because their major aim may be to make profit, therefore the employees in a private company will always want to satisfy or persuade clients that they are the best, and mostly private companies will face competition with other private companies while government organizations do have less competition or sometimes no competition at all, for example Labour department is the only government organizations dealing with Labour issues, and no Private company doing the same duty nor government organization.
By Robert Daniel Magwabu LUCT Malaysia (Cyberjaya campus)
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