Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) management has responded to the Internal Communications Audit published in April 2004. In general, the organization agrees with the recommendations. In its response to each recommendation throughout the table, the TSB indicates the action it has taken, is taking, or plans to take to address the recommendation.
RECOMMENDATION | MANAGEMENT RESPONSE | OFFICE OF PRIMARY INTEREST | TOOLS | COST | TIME FRAME |
Prepare an annual corporate communications strategy - internal and external - linked to the corporate planning process Environmental assessment, audiences, key messages, activities | Agree. A three-year Corporate Communications Strategy has been developed and will be supported by an annual Communications Operations Plan. | Chief, Communi- cations | Prepare a three-year Corporate Communi- cations Strategy Prepare an annual Communi- cations Operations Plan | $50,000 $12,000 | Completed in 2005 June 2005 |
Prepare individual communications plans to set out how communications tools and techniques will be used to help achieve specific business objectives, with performance indicators such as level of awareness | Agree. The requirement for such policy with supporting tools and practices was identified as an action item in the Corporate Communications Strategy approved by senior management in fiscal year 2004-2005. Significant effort was made on an ongoing basis last year and will continue. | Chief, Communi- cations | Develop an Internal Communi- cations Policy with supporting tools, practices and processes for managers, enabling timely, improved and consistent internal communi- cations at the TSB | Approx. $12,000 | Calendar year 2005 |
Make managers accountable for internal communications, provide them with improved tools to communicate | Agree. The requirement for such policy with supporting tools and practices was identified as an action item in the Corporate Communications Strategy approved by senior management in fiscal year 2004-2005. It would provide support to senior and middle management to communicate internally in a timely, effective manner. | Chief, Communi- cations | Develop an Internal Communi- cations Policy with supporting tools, practices and processes for managers, enabling timely, improved and consistent internal communi- cations at the TSB | Costs included in the previous item | Calendar year 2005 |
Invite the Chief of Communications to participate in all senior management committee meetings, to advise on internal and external communications | Agree. In effect as of November 1, 2004, as part of the new governance process. | Chief, Communi- cations | The Chief of Communi- cations is a permanent member of all governance committees, as part of the new governance process. | No cost | Completed |
Place a communications strategist on other key committees, to advise on internal and external communications | Agree. In effect as of November 1, 2004, as part of the new governance process. | Chief, Communi- cations | Communi- cations has established internal working practices in the Division to advise on internal and external communi- cations issues. | No cost | Completed |
Strengthen relationship between Communications and Corporate Services, which is a key player in most internal communications activities | During fiscal year 2004-2005, the Communications Division created distinct service lines to formalize the support provided to Corporate Services. | Chief, Communi- cations and Director, Corporate Service | A formal bilateral meeting will be held with key players from Communi- cations and Corporate Services to validate the level of service. | No cost | August 2005 |
Reorganize and clean up the Intranet site | Agree. As resources permit. Phase 1 of the TSB Investigations and Information Management System Project (TIIMS) will provide a reorganized Intranet as a transition to a complete restructuring and introduction of new content management practices with the Corporate Services gateway in Phase 2. Content for individual directorates and branches is the responsibility of individual managers. At its January 2005 meeting, the Internal Management Committee agreed that the Chief, Communications would lead the development of a governance committee for the Intranet in line with that for the Internet. | Systems Analyst Corporate Services and TIIMS Project Manager Chief, Communi- cations | An assessment is currently being conducted to plan the approach for transitioning the Intranet to this new environment called TIIMS. TIIMS will introduce a new Intranet environ- ment, eventually providing TSB staff access to all required TSB electronic tools and information. Along with this will be new procedures and governance for content manage- ment. | Intranet redesign for the TIIMS environ- ment is included in project costs, but individual managers' costs for main- taining and updating content are not. No cost | Interim transition - pilots in June/July 2005, production in October 2005; Final TIIMS environ- ment in 2006-2007 September 2005 |
Manager's handbook containing policies, human resources information, financial information, etc. | Disagree. Our focus will be on making that information available on the InfoNet for employees and managers. | Director, Corporate Services | |||
Events calendar, showing both external and internal events and a contact person where appropriate | Agree. An events calendar will be available on the Intranet. The events calendar will be compatible with the TIIMS project. | Chief, Communi- cations Corporate Planning Officer Corporate Services | Communi- cations has created a calendar for the Public Awareness Program showing the external events. Create an events calendar showing both external and internal events, to be available on the Intranet | No cost No cost | Completed in March 2005 September 2005 |
Guidelines for employees on the use of e-mails (these could likely be picked up from another department) | Agree. Records management guidelines have been available to all employees since February 2004. A reminder will be sent to employees about the guidelines. Note: will review Network Handbook for etiquette. | Acting Manager, Information Manage ment Corporate Services and Manager, Informatics Corporate Services | No cost | June 2005 | |
Creation of additional internal e-mail distribution lists, so employees are less likely to send to "all staff," or have to spend time creating their own lists | Disagree. Adequate distribution lists already exist and employees simply need to be reminded to use them. | ||||
A new corporate newsletter could help bridge "silos," prove useful for corporate messaging, but would require significant investment An alternative would be to use the existing Corporate Services newsletter for broader corporate purposes: updates on Business Plan priorities, status of Public Service Employee Survey Committee work, etc. | Disagree. Emphasis will be on introducing a new Intranet environment within TIIMS that will eventually provide staff with access to all required TSB electronic tools and information. | N/A | N/A | No cost |