By-laws of the State Administration Communication Coordination Group

Issued pursuant to
Section 13 of the State Administration Structure Law

I. General Provisions

1. The State Administration Communication Coordination Group (hereinafter - the Communication Group) is a consultative body that coordinates a unified strategic communication of State administration and messages to different public audiences, identifies current communication challenges and potential solutions, as well as ensures prompt exchange of information on issues and sectoral topical issues to be discussed at Cabinet meetings.

2. The Communication Group is established to deal with strategic communication issues on a day-to-day basis, as well as in crisis and threat situations, including to coordinate strategic communication before or after a Crisis Management Council meeting, and also to provide coordinated strategic support to the Operational Control Centre of Civil Protection on communication issues.

II. Functions and Tasks of the Communication Group

3. Functions of the Communication Group:

3.1. ensure prompt and mutually coordinated exchange of information between the members of the Communication Group;

3.2. promote the implementation of State administration strategic communication in practice by using centralised monitoring and analysis of the information space, defining priority target audiences and creating tailored, action-oriented messages and systems thereof;

3.3. collect and provide proposals and strategic support to the Cabinet and, in crisis situations, to the Crisis Management Council or the Operational Control Centre of Civil Protection, in order to contribute, through communication, to the achievement of the strategic objectives set by these authorities.

4. Tasks of the Communication Group:

4.1. provide the members of the group with up-to-date information and encourage discussion on the issues to be discussed at the meetings of the Cabinet (if necessary, also meetings of the Crisis Management Council), in particular legal acts and decisions that may have a wide resonance in Latvia and the international community or the communication of which requires coordinated and targeted involvement of several State administration authorities;

4.2. ensure the exchange of information between the members of the group on current policy issues and other topical issues outside the agenda of the Cabinet;

4.3. make recommendations to State administration authorities on tailored communication and actions to promote public identification with the State, including active civic participation, as well as public awareness of and trust in State authorities and their communication;

4.4. make recommendations to the members of the working group, and also to the Cabinet, the Crisis Management Council and the Operational Control Centre of Civil Protection on communication or actions (including changes, if necessary) to facilitate a change in the behaviour of the society or specific groups thereof, if this is necessary to achieve the strategic objectives set by these authorities.

III. Composition and Organisation of the Work of the Communication Group

5. The Communication Group shall be composed of the head of the Strategic Communication Department (StratCom) of the State Chancellery, the head of the Communication Department of the State Chancellery, the press secretary of the Cabinet, the press secretary of the Prime Minister, the heads of communication departments of all ministries (or delegated representatives), and also ministerial advisors in the field of communication.

6. The work of the Communication Group shall be managed by the head of the Strategic Communication Department (StratCom) of the State Chancellery. In the absence of the head of the Strategic Communication Department (StratCom) of the State Chancellery, another duly authorised employee of the State Chancellery may perform the duties of the manager of the work of the Communication Group.

7. A meeting of the Communication Group shall be held and valid if the head of the Communication Group and members of the group from at least half of the authorities referred to in Paragraph 5 of this Regulation are present. An authority shall be deemed to be represented if at least one of its representatives is present at the meeting. The Communication Group shall take its decisions by the majority of the members present. In the event of a tied vote, the head of the group shall have the casting vote.

8. Representatives of other authorities may also participate in the meeting of the Communication Group in accordance with the items on the agenda.

9. The functions of the secretariat of the Communication Group shall be performed by the Strategic Communication Department (StratCom) of the State Chancellery which shall ensure the holding of the meetings of the Communication Group, propose and draw up agendas for the meetings, draw up a summary of the issues discussed at the meeting, as well as distribute materials related to the meetings to the members of the group.

10. The head of the Communication Group shall approve the agendas of the meetings, convene and chair meetings of the group, approve the summary of the content of the meeting, sign decisions of the group and other documents related to the group, and also represent the group in local and international cooperation formats without a special authorisation.

11. Meetings of the Communication Group shall take place at least once a week before Cabinet meetings.

12. Meetings of the Communication Group shall be closed.

13. Members of the Communication Group have the right to propose a matter for inclusion on the agenda of a Communication Group meeting by notifying the Strategic Communication Department (StratCom) of the State Chancellery thereof no later than one working day before the meeting.

Prime Minister A. K. Kariņš

Acting for the Prime Minister - Minister for Finance A. Ašeradens

Translation © 2023 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)