Annual Report 2007-08

Strategic enablers

• Management and accountability
• Internal and external communications
• Information and technology

Internal and external communications

CIPO is committed to developing strong, relevant internal and external communications practices and the organization is working in close collaboration with like-minded partners at IC and other government departments to ensure that clients, stakeholders and international partners are kept informed of the latest initiatives of interest to them.

CIPO's 2005 National Client Survey demonstrated that satisfaction with communications is a key driver of overall client satisfaction with CIPO's products and services. During 2007–08, CIPO continued to enhance external communications by improving existing communication vehicles or by adding new vehicles.

CIPO's clients and stakeholders are now better informed via our new website:

• access to a range of products and services and a wealth of information through the new "Client Service" home page has been provided; and
• to better communicate to clients, the organization implemented a monthly newsletter entitled CIPO News Updates which is distributed electronically to subscribers and is also posted on our website. CIPO also wants to position itself as an employer of choice and ensure that its employees are well aware of its direction and are fully engaged in achieving the organization's objectives.

During 2007–08, Corporate Communications continued to provide strong communications support and services to CIPO branches by providing a strategic communications approach for activities and initiatives involving communications with employees:

• in the fiscal year, a survey was conducted to assess the level of satisfaction with internal communications; a plan was prepared to respond positively and effectively to employee comments;
• all internal corporate communications have been centralized and are sent via the CIPO Info Weekly Digest;
• the Patent Branch, Copyright and Industrial Design Branch, Informatics Services Branch, and Trade-marks Branch now have an electronic newsletter sent to their own staff to keep them up to date; and
• nineteen Mary's Corner messages were sent to CIPO employees and posted on CIPOnet since her arrival at CIPO in April 2007.

The new governance structure gave CIPO the opportunity to improve how the organization communicates internally and to enhance leadership and participation across the organization.

Annual Report 2007-08
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