Priority 4: Media & Communications

CSMP has been successful in promoting itself to key stakeholders, but less so to the broader public, community groups and the media. Our aim is to ensure that we achieve a high level of visibility among all stakeholders, partners and interested parties.

As part of its broader mission, CSMP aims to develop and implement an effective communications strategy. Information sharing and robust communication pathways will be central to the delivery of our objectives. We aim to pursue this agenda on a partnership basis.

There is a fundamental need to establish robust lines of communication in order to facilitate the sharing of operational information between key stakeholders. We are already working effectively to this end. The Operations Sub-group, for instance, is a forum in which partners openly discuss sensitive issues and share information.

More broadly, there is a strong case to formalise information sharing protocols. At an operational level, accurate, high quality and regularly updated information lends itself to evidence-based decision making. This can have knock-on benefits in terms of efficient resource allocation and the effective provision of services.

As part of our broader mission, it is suggested that a co-ordinated communications strategy will deliver positive results in relation to:

Identifying primary information requirements on the part of key partners;
Ensuring that information is passed promptly and accurately between stakeholders;
Correcting, or facilitating the correction of, misinformation presented to, or by, the media;
Responding, or facilitating a response, to destabilising information;
Allowing us to proactively set the media agenda.

More broadly, there is a need to market our role and affirm the added value that CSMP brings to the immigration arena. This will involve disseminating information about our remit and undertake explorative meetings with Refugee Community Organisations and other voluntary sector and community groups. Indeed, we recognise that there is a need for further and deeper engagement with community organisations, to ensure that strategic decisions are made in a representative, democratic and inclusive manner.