Review Recommends Replacing COI

In the UK, a review undertaken to decide the future of the COI has called for the department to be axed and replaced with a Government Communications Centre (GCC), responsible for keeping a tighter rein on advertising and marketing spend.

Since its formation in 1946, the COI (Central Office of Information) has worked in partnership with government departments and the public sector to drive best practice and cost effectiveness in the way citizens are informed, engaged and influenced about the issues that affect their lives. Last May, the newly elected government froze all but essential COI advertising and marketing activity, and later in the year it cut the department's headcount by 40%.

The review, which kicked off in January, focused on the department's 'role, funding, organisational status and governance'. Among the 158-page report of findings, published today by outgoing permanent secretary for Government Communications Matt Tee (pictured), is the recommendation that the COI should be replaced with a new unit staffed by government marketers. This, Tee explains, will result in the loss of 1,000 jobs and a saving of £50m per year in staff costs.

'The priority to reduce the fiscal deficit has led to a tightening of control of communication expenditure. The marketing and advertising freeze approvals procedure has introduced close central scrutiny of how communication is scoped and how return on the investment is measured,' Tee says in his report.

The GCC - which would be responsible for allocating the government's £1bn marcoms budget, as well as marketing strategy, market research, procurement and insight - would be tasked with ensuring that the government is not sending multiple messages to the same audience.

In addition, Tee believes there is 'significant potential' to ask agencies, media owners, government and voluntary and community organisations to work together for free or near free on campaigns for 'the common good', and also that the government implement a payment-by-results systems for its marketing suppliers.

Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, will be discussing the recommendations with ministerial colleagues and the government will publish a full response in due course.

Web site: www.coi.gov.uk .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.