The Role of Communication Policy in Public Institutions in Ghana: The Case of Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC)

Abstract

Communication is considered crucial and critical component in the lives of individuals, corporate institutions as well as nations. Whether internal or otherwise, it is the lifeblood of institutions. The world thrives on information and communication. Because of the vital role that communication play, there is the need for it to be organised, streamlined and guided at all times in order for its intended purpose to be be achieved. Despite its importance, a substantial number of organizations do not have clear cut communication policy. And where there is one, it is either abandoned or are not fully implemented it its entirety. This phenomenon has adversely effected many organizations, especially their corporate image. The study was conducted to assess the role of communication policy in public institutions viz aviz the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC). The study, which basically used the in-depth interview, aided the researcher to gain an insight into the communication process of the PURC thereby arriving at the conclusion. The findings of the study revealed that the PURC has no known communication policy document that clearly spells out the dos and don‟ts of the communication process of the Commission. Instead, communication is guided by rules and regulations enshrined in the Commission‟s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and this falls short of the requirements of a comprehensive communication policy document. The paper shares suggestions that will facilitate the Commission to create a roadmap of how information about the Commission will be shared and communicated to its stakeholders.