Amman, September 22 (Petra) Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Momani said Tuesday that the government's commitment to strengthening the government communication system comes in response to the rapidly evolving media landscape and the proliferation of communication platforms.

He said the effort seeks to keep pace with developments in the media sector, recognising the importance of diversifying communication tools and methods of engaging with the public.

Momani made the remarks while presiding over the launch of a capacity-building programme for government spokespersons.

Implemented by the Jordan Media Institute in cooperation with the Ministry of Government Communication, the programme aims to enhance spokespersons’ communication skills and professional and job-performance competencies, including media planning, digital media, media content drafting and media appearances.

In the presence of Minister of State for Public Sector Development Badria Balbisi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Government Communication Zaid Nawaiseh, and CEO of the Jordan Media Institute Dana Shaqqam, Momani stressed the importance of enhancing the skills of government spokespersons.

He called for strengthening their communication and engagement with media outlets, improving their ability to manage crisis communications, making effective use of modern digital tools and developing their media planning capabilities.

The efforts, he said, reinforce spokespersons' role as key partners in advancing the state's mission and strategic direction while ensuring that information is communicated clearly and effectively.

Momani noted that the regulatory framework governing spokespersons across ministries, institutions and government departments has established a comprehensive legal and institutional structure for their work.

The framework defines mechanisms for operations, appointments and joint evaluations among relevant entities, helping ensure transparency and objectivity based on specific competency indicators.

He called for equipping spokespersons with the tools needed to engage directly and effectively with the media and provide accurate and timely information.

He called for diversifying digital publishing tools and producing visual and interactive media content tailored to social media platforms and the needs of different audience segments.

The Minister of Government Communication further called for fostering integrated and collaborative media efforts among government institutions to support national causes and initiatives and address media attacks with clarity and transparency.

Balbisi, in turn, urged integrating the work of ministries and media units within the government apparatus, noting that this reflects a key objective of public sector modernisation: ensuring that the government operates as a single unit to serve Jordanians and improve the quality of services.

She said a significant shift the government is seeking to embed through public sector modernisation is moving from viewing training merely as an activity to treating capacity building as an investment in performance.

Balbisi explained that the capacity building needed today goes beyond simply providing training. It involves linking training to job roles and actual performance requirements while ensuring the continuous development of capabilities as roles and the operating environment evolve.

She said the launch of the capacity-building programme for government spokespersons is part of a broader framework to develop the spokesperson role.

The programme aims to build and enhance professional competencies through learning and practical application, shifting capacity building from generic training programmes to a pathway aligned with spokespersons' actual needs to perform their roles effectively.

This, she added, reflects a broader trend in public sector modernisation: linking capacity building to performance, performance to results and results to impact.

Balbisi urged government spokespersons to make the most of the programme by building on their existing experience and expanding their professional toolkit.

She called for strengthening their ability to understand their institutions' policies before explaining them and to assess their audiences before addressing them.

She urged transforming complex information into clear messages, engaging confidently and professionally with the media and digital platforms and leveraging new tools and artificial intelligence while upholding accuracy, credibility and professional responsibility.

The programme targets government media spokespersons, with plans to train staff from government media units in subsequent phases.

Its inaugural edition, scheduled for the final third of the year, will focus on approximately 17 spokespersons, while the remaining government spokespersons will undergo training during the programe's extended phases.

The four-week programme, with one week of training scheduled each month during the final third of the year, features intensive practical training in professional competencies related to strategic media planning, digital media engagement, media content drafting and media appearances.

//Petra// AK