Government Communication in practice: Estonian experience for Ukraine

UCMC press center

Seminar, 12th – 13th November 2015

The seminar is carried out with the support of means allocated for development co-operation in the Estonian Foreign Ministry’s budget

UCMC, Ukrainian House Ukrainian house on European Square, 2 Khreshchatyk Street, Kyiv

Day 1. Thursday, November 12th
The fundamentals of a uniform government communication. What media values in government communication. Measuring the
effectiveness.
9.00 Welcome coffee
09.30 Opening of the seminar
  • Martin Jasko, former deputy head on Estonian government communication office
  • Erki Peegel, communication expert, former media adviser to the government of Estonia
09.40 The analytical framework of government communication: International comparison, historical perspectives, and
Estonian experiences
  • Sten Hansson, Lancaster University, expert on government communication
10.50 Coffee break
11.15 Media Expectations from Government Communications in Estonia and Ukraine
  • Jaanus Piirsalu, journalist, Estonian daily “Postimees”
  • Tetyana Ogarkova, journalist, Ukrainian Hromadske TV
  • Moderator – Oksana Mitnitska, UCMC
12.45 Lunch
13.30 Measuring the effectiveness of government communication: Estonian experience
  • feedback from media
  • people’s trust in governmental institutions
  • generic attitudes towards national symbols
  • public patriotic sentiment
  • Martin Jaško, former deputy head on Estonian government communication office
14.15 Case study “Public opinion and national defence – 15 years of detailed surveys”. Input to strategic and tactical
planning
A hands-on experience from cpt Uku Arold, Deputy Chief, Strategic Communications Department, HQ of
the Estonian Defence Forces
15.10 Coffee break
15.30 PANEL DISCUSSION “How to measure the effectiveness of government communication in the period of big
transformation and challenges”
  • Natalya Kononenko, Noks Fishes, UCMC, Ukraine
  • Oleksiy Antypovych, the Head of the Sociological Group “Rating”
  • Anastasiya Shurenkova, Senior Project Manager | B2B and Strategic Research, GfK Ukraine
  • cpt Uku Arold, Deputy Chief, Strategic Communications Department, HQ of the Estonian Defence Forces
17.15 – 17.30  Summary of the day
18.00 Ice-breaker event at the Estonian embassy (Pushkinska Str. 43B)
DAY 2. Friday, November 13th
Integration and common infosphere. Engagement practices. Low-budget campaigns, communicating tough decisions and other case-
studies from Estonia.
09.00 Introduction to the day
09.15 Different dimensions of Estonian integration policy and practical toolkit
  • Dmitri Burnašev, Director of the Estonian Integration and Migration Foundation Our People
10.00 PANEL DISCUSSION: “Integration challenges in Ukraine: shaping common values and identity for IDPs and people of post-occupied territories”
  • Zurab Alasania, General Director of the National Television Company of Ukraine
  • Dmitri Burnašev, Director of the Estonian Integration and Migration Foundation Our People
  • Yurii Romanenko, political scientist, director of Center of Political analysis “Stratagema”, editor-in-chief of analytical portal “Khvylia” (“The Wave”)
  • Oleg Derevianko, deputy Minister of Education and Science
  • Moderator – Tatyana Kolosova, UCMC
11.15 Coffee break
11.35 Starting with systematic engagement practice
An overview of how to set goals and prepare an engagement plan, overcoming the most common problems by means of involvement; different ways of involving, reaching a decision in case of conflicting opinions and giving feedback. Good practice of engagement – handbook.
  • Hille HInsberg, expert, governance and civil society policy at PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies, former communication adviser to the government of Estonia
12.30 Group discussions on engagement practices
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Low-budget communication campaigns – case studies from Estonia
  • Erki Peegel, communication expert, former media adviser to the government of Estonia
14.45 How to communicate tough and unpopular decisions? Based on Estonian public sector experience
  • Erki Peegel, communication expert, former media adviser to the government of Estonia
15.30 Coffee break
16.00 Law-making: a process of communication
  • Kristiina Herodes, communication expert, former head of communication of the prosecutor general office and spokesperson of the Estonian ministry of justice, former spokesperson of the EU rule of law mission EULEX in Kosovo
  • Martin Jaško, former deputy head on Estonian government communication office
16.30 Parallel sessions:
Session І. Security & Defence Comms

    Case study – “Developing and executing communication plan for the largest mobilisation exercise Siil/Steadfast Javelin 2015 in Estonia after the country restored its armed forces two decades ago” (involving over 7,000 of reserve forces and in total 13,000 troops from Estonia and Allied countries).

    Case study – “Developing modern veteran policy and raising servicemen image in society. Nation-wide fundraising campaign “We Salute” and the story of the blue hepatica flower”

  • Uku Arold, Deputy Chief, Strategic Communications Department, HQ of the Estonian Defence Forces
Session ІІ. Comms of the prosecutor’s office and the courts
  • Kristiina Herodes, communication expert, former head of communication of the prosecutor general office and spokesperson of the Estonian ministry of justice, former spokesperson of the EU rule of law mission EULEX in Kosovo
17.45 Summary of the Seminar