Activity Details (ID# 7425)

Activity Synopsis

The general aim of the programme is to train and support public information officers who are newly employed in the Government of Montenegro and related institutions.
The specific objective of the second module was to familiarize the participants with the role and importance of public information in a democratic society and institution building in that regard. Furthermore, this module concentrated on the development of communication strategies and the creation of promotion plans for their own organisations and on concrete projects by using the opportunities of new media.

 

The Seminar was very well organised and it was clear that both participants and lecturers were very committed to their work. The Council of Europe Recommendation REC (2002)2 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on access to official documents and draft Montenegrin Law on Free Access to Information were made available together with materials and case studies provided by the experts during the working sessions.

It was noticeable that the quality of the discussions held was high, and that most of the participants had already been included either in CoE training or other programmes dealing with public relations. The main focus was the situation in Montenegro in the area of public information and the possibilities of improvement in communication of the Government, both internal and external. The use of case studies and the interactive approach of the lecturers provided an excellent balance of theory and practical work. The Council of Europe experts lead the discussions in such a way that the programme was successfully implemented. In addition, participants were satisfied that they had been heard and that quite a lot of their doubts and questions had been answered. The lecturers presented the organization and function of the PR department, offering clear guidelines for specific situations that may occur in practice, such as writing effective press releases, organizing and managing press conferences. They also presented important issues of strategic planning, in particular planning of communication and promotional planning. Experienced lecturers, with considerable knowledge of the process in transitional countries, were very much appreciated by the participants.

Even though the journalists were not specifically invited to cover the activity, and only a short press release was sent to media, all daily papers ran the article concerning the event. In addition to this, the dailies “Vijesti”, “Pobjeda”, “Dan” and the local Radio “Bussola” sent their correspondents to write longer pieces, whereas Radio Montenegro and agencies reported on it basing their information on the press release.

The activity was followed by evaluation questionnaires and a final discussion with the participants. The feedback was beyond expectations; participants expressed their complete satisfaction and expressed the wish to continue with this training. The seminar reached the target group, even though not all spokespersons were present. It would be advisable to organize the next module at the weekend. A detailed report on evaluation is attached.

The draft programme was implemented, except for the change on the last day, as the session on mass media had been postponed for the last module, at the request of participants.
 

It was agreed to continue with these activities, as planned with the third module that will take place in the beginning of September, preferably in the period between 3 and 6 September, 2004.

In addition to this, it is recommended to proceed with the work on short guidelines for public information officers in Montenegro and, following the request of Ms Olivera Djukanovic, Head of PR Bureau of the Government of Montenegro, to arrange meetings with certain Ministers in the Government, including the Prime Minister personally in order to stress the importance of professional and continuous communication of the Government through PR officers. Also, Ms Djukanovic asked if there were possibilities for additional topic-oriented workshops within the Joint Initiative.

 

Public information officers within the Government of Montenegro, Office of Ombudsman and RTVCG 

Mr David van der HOUWEN, Director of Streamline Communications, Amsterdam, Nederland
Mr Fred GIJBELS, Director of Gijbels Communicatie and Advies, Amsterdam, Nederland
 

Ms Daliborka ULJAREVIC, Council of Europe Office in Montenegro and Media Division, Directorate General of Human Rights