ARCHIVED - Communications Policy of the Government of Canada: Procedures (Archived Version)

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Procedures for Planning, Contracting and Evaluating Advertising

Government advertising is centrally co-ordinated. Institutions must co-ordinate their advertising activities with PCO and PWGSC, as required by the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada (Requirement 23). Advertising is defined in the Communications Policy.

The procedures outlined below have been established to ensure that the management of Government of Canada advertising is transparent, accountable and provides value for money. Institutions must manage their advertising activities in accordance with them.

Advertising Management Process

In addition to their own internal processes and approvals, institutions work closely with PCO and PWGSC in the development and implementation of advertising initiatives.

Officers in the Advertising Co-ordination and Partnership Directorate (ACPD) and the Communications Procurement Directorate (CPD) of PWGSC advise institutions on transactions that must occur at each stage of the advertising management process. As do strategic communications analysts in the Communications and Consultation Secretariat of PCO.

Six basic stages are involved in the development and execution of an advertising initiative. Outlined below – from planning to contracting and post-campaign evaluation – they apply to most advertising initiatives. Each stage may be shorter in some cases, depending on the size, scope and nature of an initiative.

1.  Planning and Approval

Institutions proceed as follows during the planning stage:

1. Institutions submit their proposals for advertising initiatives to PCO twice a year:  on June 30 and December 31. Institutions should begin their planning process well in advance of these deadlines.

   Note:  Institutions may choose to submit joint proposals. In these cases, a lead institution must be identified for purposes of implementation. The lead institution becomes responsible for the initiative, from preparing the proposal and obtaining the required approvals, to implementing the initiative, reporting on it and being financially accountable for its budget.

2. Institutions prepare their proposals using the Advertising Management Information System (AdMIS) administered by PWGSC and available through the its Web site, http://publiservice.gc.ca/services/adv-pub/ehandbook/admis/index-e.html. Proposals must take into account relevant government priorities and policies, and relevant public opinion or focus group research, as well as outline the advertising objectives, key messages, measurable outcomes, required budget, and whether any public access services will be used (i.e. 1 800 O-Canada, the Canada Site, and/or Publiservice). Proposals also must take into account the need for tailoring national ad campaigns to specific regions and audiences. Institutions may wish to consult their PCO strategic communications analyst before officially submitting their proposals via AdMIS.
3. Advertising proposals submitted are reviewed by PCO, horizontal strategic communications working groups and/or the Government Advertising Committee (GAC), which is an interdepartmental committee chaired by PCO. More information about the review process, the role of GAC and the development and approval of the Government Advertising Plan is available from the PCO strategic communications analyst advising on your proposal. Analysts inform institutions if their advertising proposals are to be reviewed by GAC and advise on presentations.
4. Reviewed proposals are brought forward to Cabinet for approval under the Government Advertising Plan. PCO notifies institutions of Cabinet decisions.
5. Following Cabinet approval, institutions must prepare Treasury Board submissions to access advertising funds for their initiatives. The Treasury Board approves funding for the following activities that are directly related to advertising:  pre-campaign benchmarking and focus testing, creative planning and production, media planning and buying, and post-campaign evaluation. Approved funding allocations are posted on the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Web Site at: /pubs_pol/sipubs/comm/adv-pub/index-eng.asp.

Following Cabinet and Treasury Board approvals, institutions may implement their advertising initiatives.

2.  Contracting for Advertising Services

Once advertising proposals are approved, and before selecting or meeting with an advertising services supplier, institutions must contact ACPD and CPD to initiate the contracting and implementation process. Contract information on approved advertising initiatives is entered into AdMIS for reporting purposes and to help track projects at each stage in the process.

Institutions proceed as follows during the contracting stage:

1. Before selecting or meeting with an advertising services supplier, an institution must submit a scope of work for its advertising initiative to the ACPD. A “scope of work” template is available at: http://publiservice.gc.ca/services/adv-pub/.
2. The ACPD reviews the scope of work, makes recommendations as appropriate, and issues a project registration number to the institution and the CPD, which then begins the procurement process. CPD draws on established procurement tools to acquire advertising services from qualified suppliers, such as strategic planning, creative services, production and media planning.
3. The CPD works in collaboration with the ACPD and the institution to select the most appropriate procurement tool and supplier. The CPD manages the procurement process. It has responsibility for the selection of suppliers and the issuance of all contracts, standing offers, supply arrangements and call-ups for advertising services.
4. Except in situations where a standing offer is used, institutions participate in the bid evaluation process in collaboration with the ACPD and CPD.
5. Once the CPD issues an advertising contract, the institution is responsible for managing the contract and ensuring proper administration and financial documentation. Advertising procurement activities are subject to the Treasury Board Common Services Policy and Contracting Policy and must fully conform with the Financial Administration Act.

Note:  Institutions have the option of contracting separately for advertising-related activities, either through CPD or under their delegated contracting authorities.

3.  Advertising Production

Institutions work with their selected contractors to develop the advertising strategy and design, and to create the final advertising materials for print, broadcast or electronic media.

Institutions must advise the ACPD and CPD of any changes to the original scope of work or media-buy strategy since these changes may require a contract amendment from the CPD and a new ADV number from the ACPD – see below, “Media Planning” for more on ADV numbers.

In addition, institutions must report to the ACPD on contracts, amendment values and production expenditures via AdMIS.

Institutions may use any of the following Service Canada services in their advertising initiatives:

• 1 800 O-Canada – the government’s toll free information line
• www.canada.gc.ca – the government’s primary site on the Internet
• http://publiservice.gc.ca – the government’s intranet site for the Public Service

When use of these services is formally approved as part of an advertising initiative, for implementation, please refer to the Procedures for 1 800 O-Canada, the Canada Site, Consultation Postings, and Publiservice.

4.  Pre-Testing

Institutions must pre-test all major advertising initiatives – i.e., campaigns exceeding $400,000 in media buy – to help ensure they will meet stated objectives. Such testing, which can include focus groups and other forms of marketing research, is contracted through the CPD in collaboration with PWGSC’s Public Opinion Research Directorate (PORD).

An institution must consult with its strategic communication analyst at PCO on its plans for pre-testing. The results of any pre-testing must be shared with PCO and PORD.

PORD co-ordinates public opinion research for the Government of Canada, including advertising-related research such as pre-testing and post-campaign surveys. For more information, please refer to the Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research.

5.  Media Placement

Institutions develop media-buy plans with their advertising services suppliers, review and approve them internally, submit them to their PCO strategic communications analyst for review, and then submit them to the ACPD to obtain an authorization for the purchase of media space. Plans must fully comply with an institution’s communications obligations under the Official Languages Act.

The Government of Canada uses an Agency of Record to purchase media space for government advertising. The CPD selects this agency on behalf of the Crown, and the ACPD manages the relationship as the program authority.

Institutions submit their media-buy plans to the ACPD, which issues an ADV number authorizing the Agency of Record to purchase media space.

To obtain an ADV number, institutions must provide, through AdMIS, the following information to the ACPD:

• The institution’s name, contact person, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address.
• The name of theadvertising services supplier, contact person, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address.
• The title of the advertising campaign and the government program it supports.
• The applicable project registration number and a copy of the signed Requisition for Goods and Services and Construction form (PWGSC-TPSGC 9200) associated with the media placement funding.
• A complete media plan, using the media plan template available at http://publiservice.gc.ca/services/adv-pub/.
• Advertising samples – final versions of both English and French ads for print, television, radio, Internet, or other media as applicable. Drafts will be accepted while the advertising samples are under revision; however, final samples must be submitted as soon as they are ready.
• The total estimated production and media placement costs.
• The affirmation that GAC or the PCO strategic communications analyst has reviewed and approved the media plan.

Once the ADV number is issued, ACPD will forward the request to CPD. CPD will then issue a Work Authorization, which includes the media plan, to the Agency of Record. Following receipt of the ADV number and Work Authorization, the Agency of Record proceeds with the media buy.

Note 1:  ACPD may withhold issuing an ADV number, and CPD may withhold issuing a Work Authorization, from an institution if all requirements are not met. The Agency of Record cannot purchase media space for an institution unless both the Work Authorization and ADV number have been issued.

Note 2:  Public notices such as those regarding tenders, sales, public hearings, offers of employment, business hours and addresses, are included in the definition of advertising.  Contracts for the planning, creation and production of these advertisements must be issued by CPD.  However, institutions have the option of purchasing media space for public notices directly from the media outlets.

6.  Post-Campaign Evaluation and Reporting

Institutions are required to conduct a post-campaign evaluation of all major advertising initiatives exceeding $400,000 in media buys. Campaigns of similar magnitude involving the participation of multiple institutions also must be evaluated, even though the cost of the media buy to each participating institution may be less than $400,000.

Post-campaign research is an integral part of an advertising initiative and must be included in the planning process – ensuring the project budget has sufficient resources to complete an evaluation, and identifying indicators to measure success when the campaign has ended.

Institutions work with the CPD and PORD to research and evaluate the impact and value of their advertising initiatives. The CPD manages the procurement process and issues the evaluation contract based on the scope of work provided by the institution. For more on PORD’s role, please refer to the Procedures on Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research.

A standard tool is used to evaluate major advertising campaigns:  the Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool. It consists of a series of standardized questions to be included at the beginning of a post-campaign survey. It allows institutions to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and strategies for communicating with Canadians on government priorities, information and services. Results collected through this process are used to help inform future advertising plans and campaigns.

Additional information on the Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool can be found at: http://publiservice.pco-bcp.gc.ca/comcon/default.asp
?Language=E&page=com&doc=ad_outil_instr-eng.htm.

Institutions are responsible for ensuring the quality of their evaluations and for sharing the results with other government institutions. Reports on evaluation findings must be forwarded to PORD as soon as they are completedand shared with the institution’s PCO strategic communications analyst, who may recommend a presentation to GAC.

Note:  As for all public opinion research projects, institutions are responsible for providing final reports of pre-testing and evaluation to Library of Parliament and to Library and Archives Canada within six months following the completion of survey fieldwork.

Advertising in Emergency or Crisis Situations

Institutions may determine that advertising is required to communicate information to Canadians in an emergency or crisis situation. Advertising in this context requires excellent co-ordination as institutions at the federal, provincial and local level may be involved.

Proposals to advertise during a crisis or emergency are addressed by contacting – at any time such a contingency may arise – the PCO strategic communications analyst assigned to your institution.

Institutions responsible for producing advertising or paid public notices in an emergency or crisis must consult with PCO and PWGSC (ACPD and CPD) to help to facilitate the process, while respecting approval processes and authorities.

Documentation Standards

Institutions must retain, in an organized manner, complete documentation of the activities related to an advertising project. Maintaining thorough, chronological records, from the planning stage to post-evaluation, enables successors (staff, managers and auditors) to rebuild the history of an ad campaign and fully understand the decisions made, what changes took place, who made them, when they were made and why.

PWGSC has developed a reference tool to assist institutions in documenting project files for each phase of an advertising campaign. Called the Advertising Documentation Standard for Project Files, it should be consulted to find out what records must be included to ensure an advertising initiative is thoroughly documented. It is available at the following Web site: http://publiservice.gc.ca/services/adv-pub/.

Institutions also must ensure that the information compiled in AdMIS is complete, including all estimates, contracts, amendments to contracts, and information on expenditures. Electronic files can be attached to AdMIS to simplify the management of archived records.

Contact

For more information about the government advertising process, please contact:

Jean-Marie Philippe Manager Advertising Co-ordination and Partnerships Directorate PWGSC Phone:  613-943-2540 Fax:  613-947-6696 E-mail: Jean-Marie.Philippe@pwgsc.gc.ca	Richard Robesco Director Communication Procurement Directorate PWGSC Phone:  613-998-7619 Fax:  613-991-5870 E-mail: Richard.Robesco@pwgsc.gc.ca
Ginette Martel Senior Analyst Communications and Consultation Secretariat Privy Council Office Phone:  613-957-5262 Fax:  613-957-5079 E-mail: gmartel@pco-bcp.gc.ca

Procedures for the Depository Services Program and Central Publishing Database

The Communications Policy of the Government of Canada requires institutions to register their publications in the Government of Canada’s central publishing database and to deposit copies of publications with the Depository Services Program (DSP) – see Requirements 27(b) and 27(c).

Both the DSP and the central publishing database are managed by PWGSC. Through the DSP, PWGSC manages the depository services network of libraries.

All publications regardless of format, including maps, must be entered in the database and copies provided to the DSP.

Registering and depositing publications

Government publishers and authors employed by institutions that are required to deposit their publications with the DSP must:

• Consult withthe DSP to determinethe best methods to ensure uniform public access to Government of Canada information.
• Consult with the DSP to determine the required number of copies of each publication, prior to the print run, and provide the program with the appropriate number of copies, regardless of format.
• Consult with the DSP on the most appropriate electronic format (i.e. compressed and packaged electronic files) and ensure DSP has access to these files.
• Consult with the DSP on the appropriate meta-data functions, and register their meta-data schema with the DSP to ensure that electronic publications can be appropriately captured.

The DSP:

• In consultation with government authors and publishers, determines the responsibility and methodology for capturing information required for the central database of Government of Canada publications.
• Issues ISBN and Government of Canada catalogue numbers to government authors and publishers.
• Compiles Checklists of new publications in print and electronic formats and posts the latter.
• Compensates, as needed, designated government publishers, suppliers and officially designated agents for the cost of priced products.
• Purchases, at reduced cost and on an exceptional basis, government information products as required to ensure public accessibility.
• Purchases, at reduced cost, licensed and co-published products to meet government commitments to public access.

Contact

For more information about the Depository Services Program or the central publishing database, please contact at PWGSC:

Christine Leduc Director Publishing and Depository Services Directorate Phone:  613-996-5959 Fax:  613-947-6949 E-mails: Christine.Leduc@pwgsc.gc.ca  dsp-psd@pwgsc.gc.ca

Gay Lepkey Head of Documentation Publishing and Depository Services Directorate Phone:  613-943-1389 Fax:  613-941-2410 E-mail: Gay.Lepkey@pwgsc.gc.ca

Procedures for the Canada Gazette

Institutions subject to the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada must from time to time publish legal and regulatory notices in the Canada Gazette, which is managed by PWGSC. This requirement, regulated by the Statutory Instruments Act and Statutory Instruments Regulations, also falls under the Treasury Board Common Services Policy.

PWGSC provides institutions with mandatory services related to the publication of legal and regulatory notices in the Canada Gazette.

The official newspaper of the Government of Canada, the Canada Gazette gives official notice to the public on legal and regulatory matters. Publication in this newspaper may be required either by statute or regulation, or may be directed or authorized by the Clerk of the Privy Council as being in the public interest.

Publishing notices in the Canada Gazette

To publish legal and regulatory notices in the Canada Gazette, institutions must follow the procedures outlined below. Failure to follow these procedures could delay the publication of a notice or result in additional administrative charges to the institution placing a notice.

Submissions for publication

Notices from institutions appear in Part I of the Canada Gazette.

To place a notice, institutions must submit the text of the notice in both official languages with a completed "Request for Insertion in the Canada Gazette" form. This form is available in electronic format on the Canada Gazette Web site at: http://canadagazetteducanada.gc.ca.

For security reasons, the Canada Gazette Directorate (CGD) cannot accept notices and supporting documents sent by e-mail. Also, while CGD does not provide proofs for approval, institutions are informed of substantial changes to their notices before publication.

Deadlines

CGD receives notices Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).

1. CGD must receive bilingual notices of six pages or less no later than noon at least six working days prior to the publication date. For deadline schedules, please visit the Canada Gazette Internet site at http://canadagazette.gc.ca/index-e.html.
2. Bilingual notices of more than six pages and notices that contain tables require special arrangements with CGD well in advance of the publication date. Contact CGD for details.

Confirmation

CGD will acknowledge receipt of a notice and confirm its publication date with a telephone call.

Payment

The Canada Gazette is produced and distributed on a cost-recovery basis. Placement rates are set annually and can be obtained from CGD.

1. CGD initiates the settlement of an institution's account electronically through the interdepartmental settlement process established under the Financial Information Strategy (FIS) protocol. This process takes approximately 48 hours and completes the invoicing and payment transaction.
2. CGD sends an invoice (the FIS Invoice Notification) identifying the issue in which an institution's notice appeared and its cost. The invoice contains the Department Number, RSPCEN, IS Organization Code and IS Reference Code as provided on the “Request for Insertion in the Canada Gazette” form.
3. CGD notifies an institution's central finance group of all actions initiated by CGD to settle an account. The notification includes the IS Organization and IS Reference Codes mentioned above. Institutions use these codes to ensure expenditures are allocated correctly.

Contact

To publish legal and regulatory notices in the Canada Gazette, or for more information about these procedures, please contact:

Luc Bourgault
Manager, Editing Services
The Canada Gazette Directorate
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Constitution Square II – 5^th Floor
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0S5

Phone:  613-996-1239
Fax:  613-991-3540
E-mails: Luc.Bourgault@pwgsc.gc.ca      ncr.gazette@pwgsc.gc.ca 
Internet: http://canadagazetteducanada.gc.ca

 

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