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Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Directorate
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The Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Directorate is the departmental focal point for strategic advice, planning and implementation of communications. The Directorate is highly engaged in proactive and reactive issues management, support to the Minister, the Deputy Minister, the Associate Deputy Minister and to program branches. It also plays a critical role in the development of communications partnerships with provincial and territorial governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and other federal departments in the United States and abroad.
Divisions
Horizontal Coordination Division
Horizontal coordination is critical to ensuring a consultative and comprehensive response to ongoing and emerging communications issues.
Health Canada's Horizontal Coordination Division (HCD) provides quick, seamless access to a full suite of communications services. Our coordination mechanisms reduce fragmentation in decision-making and duplication of effort within the department and among government agencies.
HCD activities include:
- Coordinating presentations to Cabinet Committee on Government Communications;
- Coordinating with central agencies;
- Liaising departmentally, interdepartmentally and externally;
- Managing Access to Information public release issues;
- Providing communications strategic advice and planning; and
- Providing for horizontal linkages and communication channels between representatives within the government.
Public Affairs Division
The Public Affairs Division (PAD) includes media relations, ministerial services, crisis and emergency communications, risk communications , and other special projects.
Activities of this unit include:
- Being the first point of contact for the Media;
- Providing media coaching to spokespeople;
- Maintaining the Spokespersons' Policy;
- Conducting crisis and emergency communications;
- Conducting risk communications;
- Coordinating Ministers' speeches and messages; and,
- Planning of media events.
This division is also involved in a number of corporate initiatives, including the planning, coordination, design and distribution of It's Your Health, a publication focused on a variety of health and science topics of interest to health care professionals and Canadians.
