Policy communication promotes a more equitable and democratic society
Policy communication is the process of continuously exchanging information about the State's policies in order to enhance mutual understanding among actors in society, contribute to changing perceptions, towards adjusting behavior and attitudes that are suitable to the development needs of individuals, groups, communities and the whole society. When communication is effective, policies will come to life in a far-reaching way.
Accordingly, policy communication plays a very important role in political activities and promotes a fairer and more democratic society. The social critical capacity of policy communication, the influence of policy communication and new policy media on people's political perception... are issues that receive the attention of the public policy communication researchers in the world.
Policy communication is a channel to help the State build its image so as not to be "dissolved" in the globalization process. For the State, policy communication helps State agencies bring information to the people about policies, persuade the public to change their awareness and behave in accordance with the law. For people, policy communication helps them update information, respond, voice their ideas, protect their legitimate rights and interests.
Along with that, policy communication contributes to promoting the rights, role and wisdom of society in identifying policy issues and considering policy solutions… Listening to opinions is a mandatory task in policy and law formulation. This is also a systematic way to ensure citizens' rights, continue to promote democracy, provide opportunities for people to know, discuss and supervise towards changing attitudes and behavior of citizens, communities and society in observing and making laws.
Policy communication also contributes to shaping public opinion. An undertaking or policy is only effective when it is socially acceptable and feasible in practice to produce the expected results.
In addition, policy communication provides information to help policyholders self-examine their methods, tools, approaches and behavior towards social issues; thereby, supporting the process of administrative procedure reform, renovating the apparatus, and improving the quality of their team.
As a sharp tool in creating social consensus, policy communication must be one step ahead, always innovating and diversifying methods of implementation. In addition, the initiative in policy communication should be promoted at all levels and sectors.
Practice of policy communication activities of the DIV
Deposit Insurance of Vietnam (DIV) is a specialized state-owned financial institution. These characteristics are reflected in the mechanism, legal framework, purpose, operating model, field of operation, as well as assigned functions and tasks. Operating under the model of a one-member limited liability company with 100% charter capital held by the State, DIV follows the Law on Deposit Insurance that clearly stipulates the task of communication and disseminating policies and laws on deposit insurance. Therefore, in the policy communication that the DIV does, there are also typical characteristics.
During more than 20 years of operation, DIV has always diversified communication activities to bring the deposit insurance policy to the public.
Accordingly, the DIV has an official website (http://div.gov.vn/) with two versions in Vietnamese and English, updating policy information on finance, banking, deposit insurance, and key activities of the DIV. DIV also publishes a quarterly Deposit Insurance Bulletin – a forum for exchanging and updating information and knowledge about deposit insurance and acting as a bridge between depositors, deposit insurers, and international financial institutions as well as policy makers.
The deposit insurance policy communication activities are promoted by the DIV through the mass media with high pervasiveness such as newspapers, radio and television. For printed and online newspapers, the DIV conducts special pages and articles with content related to the deposit insurance policy on newspapers with large readership and high influence. Through national radio and television channels, the DIV has developed a variety of reportage content, documentaries, and skits to disseminate deposit insurance policies. DIV also cooperates with VNPOST to print information about the deposit insurance policy on pension payment envelopes; order standy, poster at VNPOST's transaction points...
Due to the characteristics of operations, the DIV do not have direct contact with the beneficiaries of the deposit insurance policy who are depositors to inform and communicate, so in the past time, the DIV has focused on coordinating with insured institutions, especially people's credit funds, local mass organizations, associations, universities and mass media to promote deposit insurance policies, namely:
DIV actively cooperates with SBV branches in provinces and cities to organize events to disseminate deposit insurance policies to local organizations, mass organizations and associations, focusing on areas where weak credit institutions are operating.
Coordinate with local organizations, mass organizations and associations to disseminate deposit insurance policies to officials, employees, employees and members of associations.
Coordinate with people's credit funds to organize communication of deposit insurance policies for their staff and people through conferences, seminars, and exchanges between economic experts and people credit funds to promote deposit insurance policies; participate in communication at annual congresses or events organized by the people’s credit funds.
Increase participation in local community activities, thereby bringing the image of DIV closer to the community, integrating in the community, encouraging the community to learn and care about the deposit insurance policy and grasp the content of policy deposit insurance policy.
Increase access to and actively disseminate the deposit insurance policy towards university economic students - young people who are being trained in economics, and who have been, are and will be depositors, which is an active and effective form of communication deployed by the DIV over the past time. This is considered to be the new generation that, by their actions, will create a trend of modern financial behavior that is widespread in the community.
In addition, the DIV always focuses on creating and maintaining good relationships with agencies of ministries, departments, branches, the National Assembly, State management agencies, economic and legislative experts, etc. to coordinate in organizing the conferences, seminars on deposit insurance policies and community events.
In general, the policy communication activities of the DIV have contributed to conveying the message of deposit insurance to the public in general and depositors in particular. DIV has organized communication with many forms and tools to depositors, helped bring the image of the deposit insurer to the public, and well performed the task of communicating the deposit insurance policy as stipulated in the Law on Deposit Insurance. DIV has built a team of collaborators who are economic experts, reputable managers, qualified staff that are regularly trained professionally in journalism and communication, gradually moving towards research and apply modern technology to communicate deposit insurance policies to depositors. On-site assessment of the communication events showed that the communication of deposit insurance policy is necessary, and the dissemination method being implemented is appropriate.
Solutions to promote the role of policy communication of the DIV
In order to further promote the role of policy communication, the DIV needs to drastically and synchronously implement the following specific solutions:
Firstly, in order to effectively communicate the deposit insurance policy, it is necessary to first develop a communication strategy appropriate to each period, based on which the audience, message, tools and communication budget should be determined by periodic assessment, at least annually, to ensure compliance with implementation practice.
Secondly, it is necessary to diversify and concretize the target communication objects and corresponding tools and solutions.
Thirdly, it is necessary to develop simulated communication plans for situations to ensure that the public grasps information in a timely manner, avoiding false information, causing confusion in public opinion when situations such as: mass withdrawals, breakdown of deposit insurers, cross-border issues...
Fourthly, organize periodic evaluation of the effectiveness of deposit insurance policy communication activities through various forms such as surveys, interviews etc., in order to amend and supplement policy communication solutions accordingly.
Fifthly, besides the traditional methods, the DIV needs to apply information technology and digital tools to communicate policies to the public. Utilize and promote policy communication channels on social networks; have a research strategy, change the method of policy communication management... Along with that, DIV needs to do research and search for effective policy communication security solutions.
In the trend of modernization of policy communication activities in the world and the significant influence of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, the deposit insurer needs to make efforts to improve policy communication activities in order to well fulfill the task of protecting depositors, contributing to financial-banking stability and social security.