Government advertising

Tabled Report 16: 2016–17

Tabled date

2017-05-30

Report year

2016-17

Whole of government

Entities audited

Not identified in the published HTML audit scope.

Recommendations

1. QAO's text Addressed to: the Department of the Premier and Cabinet

   diversifies the membership of the Government Advertising and Communication Committee to strengthen its independence. (Chapter 2)

2. QAO's text Addressed to: the Department of the Premier and Cabinet

   assesses the merits of extending the Government Advertising and Communication Committee's scope for 'noting' other public sector entities' expenditure on advertising to include those public sector entities that are not required to comply with the Queensland Government Advertising Code of Conduct. (Chapter 3).

3. QAO's text Addressed to: the Department of the Premier and Cabinet

   strengthens its oversight of government advertising and communication activities by

   • developing guidance to assist agencies with planning, developing, implementing, evaluating, and fundung campaign advertising and communciation activities. (Chapter 2)
   • updating policies to reflect the Government Advertising and Communication Committee approval process. (Chapter 2)
   • updating the approval stages to ensure that compliance with the Queensland Government Advertising Code of Conduct is assessed after the final creative materials have been completed. (Chapter 4)
   • analysing and confirming the appropriateness of quality assurance reports for advertising placement activities. (Chapter 3)

4. QAO's text Addressed to: the Department of the Premier and Cabinet

   enhances public reporting of total expenditure on advertising and communication activities on campaigns by including

   • all public sector entities' expenditure on campaign advertising placement. (Chapter 3)
   • (for the 21 departments) all campaign costs associated with research and evaluation, production of creative materials, advertising placement, and other related items and services, in addition to expenditure on advertising placement. (Chapter 3).

5. QAO's text Addressed to: departments

   strengthen the evaluation of communication activities by preparing formal reports post campaigns which sumamrise results, cost-effectiveness of advertising mediums and insights into how the results inform future campaigns. (Chapter 4)

6. QAO's text Addressed to: departments

   ensure that campaign materials submitted to the Government Advertising and Communication Committee have been certified by the relevant authority (Director-General or equivalent) as compliant with the Queensland Government Advertising Code of Conduct, and that evidence of this certification is included in submissions. (Chapter 4).

    

Authoritative report — Queensland Audit Office

Report PDF on QAO