Chapter 2 - P rogramme 1 - Department of Defence

and functions in achieving the DOD’s mission and
vision. DCC received guidelines to increase and
improve its corporate communication efforts in order
to ensure stronger public awareness, understanding
and support of Defence, and to develop and refocus
corporate communication to be able to effectively
support operations in the Region. The management
of relationships between the DOD and its key
stakeholders will focus communication efforts to
address the credibility of the Department, with regard
to financial management and defence spending.
DCC is, however, still experiencing a major lack of
capability regarding its ability to fully achieve its set
objectives. This is mainly due to a lack of skilled and
experienced corporate communication specialists
and posts. One of the management interventions
by Directorate Corporate Communication to
overcome this challenge was the identification and
employment of four interns for a period of one
year, as part of Government’s ASGISA incentives
to reduce joblessness by providing job opportunities
and skills development to unemployed graduates.
Expanding its communication efforts in support
of departmental objectives, however, remains a
challenge.
DCC continues to focus its communication efforts
on the achievement of consensus on defence among
all its key stakeholders, i.e. to promote the role
of the DOD and the SA National Defence Force
(SANDF) in its commitment to peace and stability
on the Continent. The overarching communication
| Department of Defence |
challenge for DCC related to this objective remains
to promote the role of the DOD, and in particular
the SANDF, in a peacetime scenario, given its low
level of visibility internally.
The establishment of the new DCC structures is still
in process, in accordance and in alignment with the
restructuring process of the broader Department.
The effectiveness of internal communication in
the DOD depends on the partnership between the
command and management cadre at all levels and
their corporate communication staffs. The role of
corporate communication as a management function
remains a key challenge to DCC at all levels.
Measurable Objective
Corporate Communication provided defence
communication policy, strategy and plans in
accordance with DOD policy and national
(Government Communication and Information
System) policy. It also provided a centralised
corporate communication capability, services and
products in order to enable effective, efficient,
interactive two-way communication between the
DOD and its publics/stakeholders.
Outputs
Table 2.29 Outputs of Corporate Communication for FY 2007/08
Details of the outputs of Corporate Communication
are shown in Table 2.29.
Output Performance Measure Targets Actual Achievement
Subprogramme: Corporate Communication
Strategic direction in respect Level of credibility of Credible communication Fully achieved. The research
of corporate communication communication advice advice to the MOD and DOD findings from IG and GCIS
to the DOD by providing
continue to reflect growing
defence communication
public confidence in the
advice, policy, strategy and
performance of the DOD.
plans in accordance with
Continuous communication
DOD policy and national
advice and guidelines are
(GCIS) communication policy
provided at all management
levels, e.g. DSC and PDSC.
Level of coordination of Coordinated DOD corporate Fully achieved. The DOD
communication efforts communication efforts Corporate Communication
Strategic Business Plan and
Strategy continue to serve as
guidelines for the coordination
of DOD communication
efforts. Corporate
Communication Staff
Council is fully functional to
ensure the coordination of
communication plans and
programmes.
79 Annual Report FY 2007 - 2008
| Chapter 2 - Programme 1: Administration |