BrazilConsulum offering helps governments build communications functions
International advisory firm Consulum has launched a new offering focused on helping government officials professionalise their communications functions.
Consulum is a 130-person consulting firm that helps governments deliver their economic and social development goals and enhance their standing on the world stage. The firm, which operates with six offices including three in the Middle East, provides services at the intersection of strategy, policy and communications.
The new offering – it’s 11th overall – focuses on the design and build of a high-performing communications function at governments, including at the very highest level.
David Bishop, partner at Consulum and leader of the so-called Capacity Building offering, said the new service comes in response to growing demand from governments to lead the way in several major national agenda’s, with communications a key driver of transparency and success.
“In a highly complex landscape – global risks are proliferating, geopolitical tensions are rising, economies are slowing, and climate change is urgent – people, businesses and leaders are overwhelmingly looking to governments to lead us through these challenges,” Bishop said.
While most governments recognise the role of communication as a fundamental tool in driving transparency, commitment, trust and ultimately real change, Bishop said that “many governments struggle with designing an effective and integrated communications operation.”
“This means that strategy, policy, and communications can easily fall out of alignment, meaning that policy is not delivered effectively. Errors, criticism, and failures can negatively impact policy objectives.”
The Capacity Building offering
Enter Consulum’s new offering. Based on its decades of experience in the field and sector, the firm’s experts have crafted a three-step framework for communications transformation: ACE, which stands for Assess, Create, and Embed.
Bishop: “A successful government communications operation does not happen by accident: it is the product of a deliberate design process that aligns an organisation’s purpose, strategy, and operating model.”
“We have designed a unique approach informed by global best practice, the principles of effective organisational design, and a real-world understanding of what works in this unique and challenging environment. This means that when a government faces a challenge getting its message across, we can help.”
One of the key principles of Consulum’s offering is ensuring the alignment and integration between communications and overarching policy objectives. “Communications is often viewed as just another function within a ministry, not closely connected to strategy or policymaking. This is a fatal flaw. These arrangements do not account for the unique role that communication plays in modern government, the growing challenges governments can expect to face, or the pace of change.”
Bishop continued, “Over the next decade, we are going to see governments tested. In this challenging landscape, the governments that thrive will be those that recognise communications is mission critical and organise for success. With our new offering, Consulum is ideally placed to help governments navigate these challenges.”
Last week, Consulum was named one of the leading government consulting firms in the Middle East.
