MONROVIA – Governments speaking in many voices confuse the public they serve. The Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism wants to end that. Its draft National Communication Strategy promises “One Government, One Voice” from 2026 to 2031. Communicators from 38 institutions reviewed the 82-page document on Friday, October 16. Officials invited criticism rather than applause, a welcome posture. But the hardest questions remain open. No implementation timetable, budget or monitoring indicators were outlined at the session. A single government voice can build public trust or muffle uncomfortable truths. The difference lies in disclosure, access to information and respect for independent media. Pundits say the strategy will be judged in practice, not on paper. THE ANALYST’s GEORGE C. FLOMO reports.
The Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) has convened communication experts and representatives of 38 public and private institutions to review and validate a draft five-year National Communication Strategy intended to establish a coordinated framework for government communication in Liberia from 2026 to 2031.
The one-day working session, held on Friday, October 16, brought together communication directors, managers, consultants, media practitioners, and other professionals to scrutinize the proposed 82-page policy document, which contains nine chapters and is expected to guide government messaging across ministries, agencies, and commissions.
The draft strategy is anchored in the principle of “One Government, One Voice,” with the stated objective of promoting consistency, transparency, credibility, and coordination in the dissemination of public information.
The validation exercise was facilitated by Malcolm Joseph, Executive Director of the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP), who called on participants to take ownership of the proposed strategy and contribute their professional experience to improving the document before its consideration by the government.
Facilitator Urges Ownership
Addressing participants, Joseph described the exercise as an important opportunity for communication professionals to help shape a national framework that could guide their work across government institutions.
He observed that communicating without a clearly defined plan could create difficulties for public information officers and argued that the proposed strategy could provide a common direction for institutional communication.
Joseph encouraged representatives of ministries and agencies to examine whether their respective institutions already had communication plans and to use the validation process to identify areas requiring improvement.
He emphasized that the process should not be treated as the responsibility of the facilitator or the consultant who developed the document, but as a collective exercise requiring the participation and commitment of government communicators.
“The essence of the validation is to get your buy-in as communicators into this National Communications Plan,” Joseph said, urging participants to recommend additions, corrections, and the removal of provisions they considered unnecessary.
According to him, the consultant responsible for drafting the document could not be expected to capture every relevant idea, making the contributions of experienced communication professionals essential to strengthening the strategy.
Joseph said the objective was to produce a validated document that could be finalized by the consultant and subsequently advanced through the government’s decision-making process, potentially for Cabinet consideration.
Sando Outlines Strategy’s Pillars
Deputy Minister for Press and Public Affairs Daniel O. Sando said the draft strategy was designed to provide a clear, coordinated, and results-oriented framework for communication between the Government of Liberia and its citizens.
Sando explained that the proposed policy seeks to ensure consistency in government messaging while improving the transparency and credibility of information distributed across ministries, agencies, and commissions.
He identified institutional capacity development, improved public information flows, digital transformation, national cohesion, and meaningful citizen engagement as central elements of the strategy.
The Deputy Minister also said the framework was intended to strengthen the government’s ability to respond effectively to crises and misinformation, particularly at a time when the speed and reach of digital communication can influence public understanding of national issues.
He noted that the document outlines a proposed communication architecture for engaging key audiences, identifying priority messages, establishing practical programs, and setting government-wide standards to improve implementation and accountability. Sando further explained that the strategy was designed to align government communication with Liberia’s national development agenda, the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).
He said the “One Government, One Voice” principle was intended to promote coherence and public trust, extending the reach of credible government information beyond Monrovia to communities across the country.
The Deputy Minister welcomed participants’ technical contributions, emphasizing that their recommendations would help strengthen the document for validation and eventual implementation.
Tarkpah Demands Critical Review
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Administration at MICAT, Johnny S. Tarkpah, welcomed participants and expressed satisfaction that the strategy had reached the validation stage after several months of work.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry’s senior management, Tarkpah thanked the invited communication professionals for accepting the invitation and participating in the review process.
He encouraged participants to approach the exercise with independence and professional candor, stressing that the purpose of the session was to scrutinize the draft rather than simply endorse it.
Tarkpah, the Acting Information Minister, urged participants to ask difficult questions, identify weaknesses, and recommend additions or revisions wherever necessary.
He said the Ministry had invited them because of their expertise and expected them to examine the document critically, bringing their professional judgment to bear on its content.
Drawing on his background in finance and policy development, Tarkpah described his involvement in preparing the national communication strategy as a valuable experience and expressed hope that the validation process would produce a document that reflected the needs and practical realities of government communication.
His remarks reinforced the Ministry’s position that the draft remained open to technical review and that participants were expected to contribute meaningfully before it advanced to the next stage.
Five Thematic Areas
The draft National Communication Strategy is organized around five major thematic areas: Communication Governance Framework, Coherent Government Communication, Competitive Communication, Effective Crisis Communication, and Responsive Institutional Capacity. Together, these areas are intended to establish the institutional structures, professional standards, coordination mechanisms, and capacities required to improve communication across government.
The proposed strategy also emphasizes rebuilding public trust, strengthening the professional skills of government communication officers, improving information management, enhancing government-media relations, promoting press freedom and responsible journalism, and developing a modern communication system.
To facilitate a detailed examination of the 82-page document, participants were divided into four working groups and assigned to review and critique its nine chapters.
Implementation Will Be The Test
The group discussions were intended to generate technical recommendations that could be incorporated into the draft before the consultant undertakes further revisions. While the validation session represents a step toward establishing a common framework for public communication, the strategy’s practical value will ultimately depend on how its proposals are translated into institutional practices.
A policy built around “One Government, One Voice” will require coordination among ministries and agencies that communicate different mandates, programs, and public responsibilities. Its implementation will therefore depend on clearly defined roles, professional training, adequate resources, and mechanisms for assessing whether public information is timely, accurate, accessible, and responsive to citizens’ concerns.
The emphasis on crisis communication and misinformation also raises the importance of timely disclosure, credible information, and effective engagement with the media and the public during emergencies and other sensitive national developments. At the same time, the strategy’s stated commitment to press freedom and responsible journalism will require a clear understanding of the respective roles of government communicators and independent media practitioners.
Coordinated government messaging must be accompanied by transparency, access to public information, and respect for the media’s responsibility to question official accounts and independently verify information.
The involvement of communication professionals from public and private institutions provides an opportunity to address these issues during the validation process. However, the Ministry has yet to outline, in the remarks provided at the session, the final implementation timetable, funding arrangements, monitoring indicators, or specific accountability mechanisms that would govern the strategy after its adoption.
The draft is expected to undergo further refinement following participants’ recommendations before it proceeds to the next stage of government consideration. For the Government of Liberia, the challenge will be to move beyond a common communication framework on paper and establish a professional system that delivers consistent, credible, and accessible information while maintaining public accountability and meaningful engagement with citizens.