Sharjah: The fourth International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2015) opens on Sunday (today) in Sharjah, with state and media leaders to discuss effective dialogue strategies with the public.
The two-day event, taking place at Sharjah Expo Centre, is held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.
On Sunday, current and former heads of states will stress how governments need to keep communication channels open with stakeholders.
The first day’s guests of honour include Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, and Michel Sulaiman, President of Lebanon.
Later in the day, participants will hear from Julia Gillard, the former prime minister of Australia, who will be interviewed on stage by BBC HardTalk presenter Stephen Sackur.
The forum will also host Jose Manuel Barroso, the former Prime Minister of Portugal, Faisal Al Fayez, the First Deputy Speaker of the Jordanian Senate Council, and General Sir Richard Shirreff, deputy supreme allied commander, Nato Europe.
Prior to the forum’s opening, organiser Sharjah Media Centre (SMC) hosted a workshop to introduce the concept of the “government grid” to an audience comprising members of the Sharjah Executive Council and heads of Sharjah government departments.
The workshop sessions were led by internally renowned government communication experts from the UK Prime Minister’s Office, Alex Aiken and Robin Gordon-Farleigh.
The grid was highlighted as a ‘running diary’ that “incorporates every forthcoming announcement of every government department in order to maximise their impact and ensure intradepartmental cohesiveness”.
The Sharjah Government Grid is the brainchild of SMC launched through its Government Communication Unit under the directives of Dr Shaikh Sultan.
SMC Chairman Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi said: “The introduction and adoption of the government grid will serve as a leap in developing government communication strategies and improving the level of coordination among departments. This will eventually help realise our vision to achieve better communication between the government and its key audience — the community.”
