GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE STRATEGIC DIMENSIONS OF THE CENTRAL NATIONAL GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION IN KENYA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47604/ijcpr.1460Keywords:
Government Communication, Strategic Approach, Structures, Practice.Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to critically analyze the strategic dimensions of the central national government communication in Kenya. The structure of the central national government communication is comprised of Presidential Strategic Communication Unit (PSCU), Office of the Government Spokesperson (OGS), and Ministry of information communication technology (ICT).
Methodology: A single-case (embedded) research design was adopted and the target population was all the communication officers at the three government entities (PSCU, OGS, and Ministry of ICT). Data was collected through in-depth interviews and document analysis.
Findings: The study findings indicate that the structure and process of government communicators are decentralized, uncoordinated, and adhoc. Communication is partly strategic and partly political. The professionals are mainly either recruited through political appointments, recommendations or recruited from civil service. Further, government communication is characterized by the pursuit of short/medium-term goals; strong political influence; limited specialized communication units; positioned at the lower level of the government structure; and considered a tactical tool that performs media and publicity functions. The study's findings are an important addition to the emerging field of government communication, especially on African scholarship where there is a serious dearth.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Given the environment under which government communication operates, the findings of this study contribute to the excellence theory of public relations that advocates for excellent communication units. The findings are also helpful to policymakers and researchers since it provides a better understanding of government communication for possible improvement, regulation, and replication.
Downloads
References
Bekkers, V.J. M (1998). Electronic Service Delivery in Public Administration: Some Trends and Issues. International Review of Administrative Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020852399652004
Bertot, J. C., Jaeger, P. T., & Grimes, J. M. (2010). Using ICTs to create a culture of transparency: E-government and social media as openness and anti-corruption tools for societies. Government Information Quarterly, 27(2010), 264-271. doi:10.1016/j.giq.2010.03.001
Canel, M. J. & Sanders, K. (2012). Communicating strategically in the face of terrorism. Public Relations Review, 38(2), 214-22.
Canel, M. J., & Sanders, K. (2011). Government communication. International Encyclopedia of Communication Online. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell.
Canel, M. J., & Sanders, K., (2013). Government communication: an emerging field in Political Communication research. In H. Semetko & M. Scammell (Eds), The Sage handbook of political communication (pp. 85-96). London: Sage
Cutlip S. M., Center, A. H., & Broom, G. M. (2000). Effective public relations (8th Eds). Upper Saddle, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Executive Office of President (2013). Structure of Executive Office of the President. Republic of Kenya
Executive Office of the President (2018, June 5th). New appointment to the PSCU [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.president.go.ke/2018/06/05/announcing-new-appointments-to-the-pscu/).
Executive office of the president (January 2019). Executive Order No.1: Framework for Co-ordination and Implementation of National Government Development Programmes and Projects.
Executive Office of the President (May 2013). Executive Order No. 2.: Organisation of the Government of the Republic of Kenya.
Executive Office of the President [Uhuru Kenyatta] (2013). EOP Structure. http://www.president.go.ke/presidency/
Executive Office of the President. (2016, May). Executive Order No. 1: Organization of the Government of Kenya. Nairobi -Kenya: Government Printer.
Executive Order No. 1 (May 1st, 2016): Organisation of the Government of Kenya. Government Printer, Nairobi -Kenya.
Executive Order No. 2, (May 1st , 2013): Organisation of the Government of Kenya. Government Printer, Nairobi-Kenya.
Fisher, B., & Horsley, J. S. (2007). The Government communication decision wheel: Towards a public relations model for the public sector. Journal of Public Relations Research, 19(4), 377-393.
Fitch, B. (2004). Media relations handbook for agencies, associations, nonprofits, and congress (5th ed.). Alexandria, VA: CapitolNet.
Garnett, J. L. (1994). Communicating for results in government. A strategic approach for public managers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Government of Kenya (20013). 2013 -2017 Strategic Plan, Ministry of ICT. Government Printers.
Graber, D. (2003). The power of communication: Managing information in public organizations. Washington, DC: CQ Press.
Grunig, J. E. (1992). Excellence in public relations and communication management. Hillsdale NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Grunig, J. E. (2001). Two-way symmetrical public relations: Past, present and future. In R. L. Heath (Ed.), Handbook of public relations (pp. 11-30). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Grunig, J. E. & Grunig, L. A., (2008). Quantitative methods in public relations. In B. van Ruler, T. A.Vercic, & D. Vercic (Eds), Public relations metrics: Research and evaluation (pp. 91-119). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Grunig, J. E., & Grunig, L. A. (2008). Excellence theory in public relations. College Park: University of Maryland.
Grunig, J. E., & Grunig, L. A. (2008). Excellence theory in public relations. College Park: University of Maryland.
Grunig, L. A., Grunig, J. E., & Dozier, D. M. (2002). Excellent public relations and effective organizations: A study of communication management in three countries. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Grunig, L. A., Grunig, J. E., & Dozier, D. M. (2002). Excellent public relations and effective organizations: A study of communication management in three countries. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Grunig, L. A., Grunig, J. E., & Ehling, W. P. (1992). What is an effective organization? In J. E. Grunig, D. M. Dozier, W. P. Ehling, L. A. Grunig, F. C. Repper, & J. White (Eds.), Excellence in public relations and communication management (pp. 65-90). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Horsley, J. S., & Liu, B. F. (2010). Comparisons of U. S. government communication practices: Expanding the government communication decision wheel. Communication Theory, 20(93), 269-295.
Jennings M. K., & Zeitner, V. (2003). Internet use and civic engagement: A longitudinal analysis. Public Opinion Quarterly 67(3) 311-334.
Kiousis, S., & Strömbäck, J. (2011). Political public relations research in the future. In J. Strömbäck & S. Kiousis (Eds), Political public relations. Principles and applications (pp. 314-23). New York: Routledge.
Kiousis, S., Popescu, C., & Mitrook, M. (2007). Understanding influence on corporate reputation: An examination of public relations efforts, media coverage, public opinion and financial performance from agenda-building and agenda-setting perspective. Journal of Public Relations Research, 19, 147-65
Kumar, M. J. (2003b). The pressures of White House work life: Naked in a glass house. In M. J. Kumar & T. Sullivan (Eds), The White House world: Transitions, organization and office operations (pp. 94-107). College Station, TX: A&M University Press.
Ledingham, J. A. (2011). Political public relations and relationship management. In J. Strömbäck & S. Kiousis (Eds), Political public relations. Principles and applications (pp. 235-53). New York: Routledge.
Lilleker, D. G., & Jackson, N. (2011). Political public relations and political marketing. In J. Strömbäck & S. Kiousis (Eds), Political public relations
Lipsky, M. (1980). Street-level bureaucracy: The dilemmas of individuals in public service. New York, NY: Russell Sage.
Meijer A. J. (2009). Understanding computer-mediated transparency. International Review of Administrative Sciences 75(2), 255-269.
Negrine, R. M. (2007). Professionalisation of political communication in Europe. In R. Nerine, C. Mancini, C. Holtz-Bocha, & S. Papathanassopoulos (Eds), The professionalization of political communication: Changing media, changing Europe (pp. 27-45). Bristol: Intellect Books.
Olsen, J. P. (2006). Maybe it is time to rediscover bureaucracy. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 16, 1-24.
Piotrowski, S. J., & Borry, E. L. (2009). Transparency and local government websites. In C. G. Reddick (ed.), Handbook of research on strategies for local e-Government adoption and implementation: Comparative studies (pp. 390-407). Hershey, NY: Information Science Reference.
Rainey, H. G. (2003). Understanding and managing public organizations (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Sanders, K., & Canel, M. J. (2013). Government communication cases and challenges. London: Bloomsbury Academic Publishers.
Strömbäck, J., & Kiousis, S. (2011). Political public relations principles and applications. New York: Routledge.
Wimmer, R. D., & Dominick, J. R. (2004). Mass media research an introduction. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Yates, J. A. (1989). Control through communication: The rise of system in American management. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Ruth Aoko Owino
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
