Dimension: 3.2.1 Institutional communication

This dimension concerns the various means of communication that parliament uses to inform the public about parliament and its activities. Many parliaments have adopted an institutional communication policy or strategy and created specialized communications units to support this work.

Parliaments typically use a mix of channels as part of their efforts to reach all groups in society, including children and young people, people without access to the internet, and disadvantaged groups. This requires sufficient resources and tools to support the communication strategy.

Some of the most common channels of communication include written publications, print media, radio and television broadcasting, the internet, social media, and mobile platforms. Parliamentary proceedings are often broadcast live in formats that include public television, radio channels, dedicated parliamentary channels, and live-streaming on the parliamentary website.

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Aspiring goal

Based on a global comparative analysis, an aspiring goal for parliaments in the area of “institutional communication” is as follows:

  • Parliament has adopted an institutional communication policy or strategy that sets out how it aims to keep all groups in society informed about its work.
  • Parliament has sufficient human and financial resources to support effective communication and to enable all groups in society to access parliamentary information.
  • The public has access to live broadcasts of parliamentary proceedings, particularly plenary sessions, as well as to archives of recordings of the proceedings.
  • Parliament uses social media to inform and interact with the public about the work of parliament.

Assess your parliament against this dimension

Assessment criteria

No 1: Communication policy or strategy

Parliament has adopted an institutional communication policy or strategy that sets out how parliament aims to inform all groups in society about its work using a range of means of communication. 

No 2: Resources

Parliament has sufficient human and financial resources to support effective communication and to enable all groups in society to access parliamentary information.

No 3: Broadcasting

Parliamentary proceedings, particularly plenary sessions, are broadcast live other than in exceptional cases, which are limited and clearly defined. Live and archived broadcasts are widely accessible at no extra cost to the public.

No 4: Social media

Parliament has accounts on the main social media channels, and actively posts content and interacts with the public on these channels.

How to complete this assessment

This dimension is assessed against several criteria, each of which should be evaluated separately. For each criterion, select one of the six descriptive grades (Non-existent, Rudimentary, Basic, Good, Very good and Excellent) that best reflects the situation in your parliament, and provide details of the evidence on which this assessment is based. 

The evidence for assessment of this dimension could include the following:

  • Provisions of the legal framework relating to media access to parliamentary proceedings 
  • Provisions of parliament’s rules of procedure relating to the broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings
  • Strategies, procedures, reports or other documents describing parliamentary communication
  • Staff structure, and financial and other documents describing parliamentary resources dedicated to communication
  • Details and periodic updates of parliament’s communication policy or strategy, including its outreach and social media strategies, if relevant
  • Activity on parliamentary social media accounts and handles, as well as statistics on traffic and interaction with the content posted on these accounts 

Where relevant, provide additional comments or examples that support the assessment.

Sources and further reading

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Get help with this assessment

The assessment of indicators involves diagnosing and considering strengths and weaknesses, i.e. the things parliament is doing well, and the things it could do better or more effectively, taking into account established good practices that are described in the indicators. 

Read the assessment guidance to find out what to consider when conducting an assessment against the Indicators. Find out how to prepare, how to set the objectives of the assessment, how to organize the process, and more. Contact the project partners for expert advice.

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