Draft Strategy Statement 2017-2019

The Draft BAI Strategy Statement 2017-2019 (“Draft Statement”) has been developed in accordance with Section 29 of the Broadcasting Act 2009.   This document is divided into three parts as follows: –

1. Introduction to the Draft BAI Strategy Statement 2017-2019
2. Draft Vision, Mission and Values
3. Draft BAI Strategic Themes, Strategic Objectives and Outcomes by 2019

Stakeholders are requested to read and consider Sections 2 and 3 and submit their views via one of the mechanisms identified below.  The BAI held a Deliberative Forum in November 2016 to garner views from a representative sample of the public on the contents of the Draft Statement.

How Can I Respond?

You can submit your views on the Draft Statement in a number of ways.  To help you, we have posed two questions at the end of Sections 2 and 3. Responses can be submitted online, by email or by post.

Online: www.bai.ie/consultations

Email: Submit your response by email to strategy@bai.ie.

Post: Submit your response in writing to: BAI Draft Strategy, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, 2-5 Warrington Place, Dublin D02XP29.

Timeframe for Responses

All responses to this public consultation must reach the BAI by 12 noon on Thursday, 1^st December 2016.

 Use of Your Information

The BAI will collect your name, email address and any other personal information that you include in your response(s).  Your name and response(s) will be made publicly available after the new Strategy is launched.  The information collected will be used only for the purposes of developing the new Strategy and for no other purpose.

Freedom of Information

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) undertakes to use its best endeavours to hold confidential any information provided by you in your submission subject to the BAI’s obligations under law, including under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.  Should you wish that any of the information supplied by you in your submission should not be disclosed because of its sensitivity, you should, when providing the information, identify same and specify the reasons for its sensitivity.  The BAI will consult with you about this sensitive information before making a decision on any Freedom of Information request received.

A key objective for the BAI in developing this new Draft Statement was to provide a document that is concise, accessible and builds on the ambition of its predecessors.  While this new Draft Statement is shorter, its structure and core content are firmly rooted in previous Statements and underlying legislation.  This is most evident in its core focus which is to serve Irish audiences. The Draft Statement largely follows the same overall structure as previous Statements i.e. Vision, Mission, Values, Strategic Themes, Strategic Objectives and Outcomes.

Work on the Draft Statement commenced in February 2016 with a review of the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing Strategy Statement and an examination of the current media landscape from a range of perspectives. Ipsos MRBI was commissioned to conduct independent research with stakeholders on the existing Strategy Statement and the emerging Report (“the Report”) is being published to coincide with the launch of the Draft Statement. The Report reveals that the BAI is perceived as an effective and trusted regulator by stakeholders but the challenge of remaining relevant in a fast evolving media landscape is also highlighted.  The Report provides an important context for the development of the proposed new Draft Statement in terms of its content, structure and focus.

This is particularly evident in the proposed new Vision which clearly sets out the media landscape that the BAI wants to help create i.e. one that reflects and shapes who we are.  The BAI recognises that achieving this Vision will require it to continue to work in partnership with an expanding range of stakeholders.  The BAI believes this Vision can accommodate anticipated changes arising from national and international developments in relation to size and scale of the audio-visual sector between 2017 and 2019.

The Mission Statement identifies three key areas where the BAI will focus its efforts between 2017 and 2019. These reflect a continuity with the BAI Strategy Statement 2014-2016 and are shaped by existing legislation and the BAI’s related responsibilities.  However, they also reflect the realities of a digital world where the only constant is continuous change.

Stakeholder feedback captured in the Report reveals that stakeholders believe that BAI operations are generally consistent with the values articulated in the BAI Strategy Statement 2014-2016. This outcome was particularly welcome, especially given the challenges faced by the sector and the BAI over the last 6 years.  Therefore, it is not surprising that the Values in the Draft Statement reflect a refinement and restatement of the current values.  The changes reflect the overall drive for a shorter, clearer document for the 2017-2019 period.

The desire for greater brevity and clarity is most evident in the formulation and presentation of the Strategic Themes, Strategic Objectives and related Outcomes.  The number of Strategic Themes has been reduced from seven to five, without sacrificing any of the breadth or ambition of the current Statement.  A series of high level Strategic Objectives are proposed for each Strategic Theme and the expected Outcomes between 2017 and 2019 are detailed for each area.  From one perspective, the Strategic Themes, Strategic Objectives and Outcomes reflect a desire to build on the BAI’s achievements to date as reflected in the Report. However, the Draft Strategy also signals a commitment to focus on current challenges and this is perhaps most evident in the new Strategic Theme of “Enhancing Innovation and Sectoral Sustainability”.  While this has always been a concern for the BAI, the Draft Statement gives additional prominence and priority to this area.  The content of the Draft Statement is presented in Sections 2 and 3 below.

This section sets out the draft Vision, Mission and Values for the new Strategy Statement and asks whether respondents believe these are clear and appropriate.

2.1. Draft BAI Vision

The Vision Statement sets out the BAI’s vision of the future it wants to help create.  This Vision is not specifically linked to the Strategy timeframe.  The draft BAI Vision is as follows:

An Irish media landscape that reflects and shapes who we are.

2.2. Draft BAI Mission

The Mission statement sets out what the BAI will do over the period of the Strategy to achieve its Vision. It is divided into three distinct elements as follows:

1. To regulate, foster and support broadcasting in the public interest
2. To promote a plurality of voices, viewpoints, outlets and sources in Irish media
3. To foster diverse and culturally relevant quality content for Irish audiences

2.3. Draft BAI Values

These are the core values that underpin the BAI’s operation and are the bedrock of its organisational culture.  There is clear continuity between the values articulated here and those identified in the BAI Strategy Statement 2014-2016.  We propose a clearer articulation of these values under four key headings as follows:

We are

• Fair – in our processes, procedures, and decisions.
• Independent – operating as an impartial regulator.
• Expert – by informing ourselves though engagement, research and a commitment to professional learning.
• Accountable – in our decisions, our governance, and our resources

This part of the Draft Statement sets out in more detail the areas where the BAI will focus its attention and resources between 2017-2019 and the high level outcomes it expects to achieve

The five Strategic Themes provide further elaboration on the activity areas identified in the Mission.   Under each of the Strategic Themes, the BAI has identified its Strategic Objectives detailing specific action areas and providing the framework for the BAI’s work plans between 2017 and 2019.

Finally, the Outcomes are the goals which the BAI expects to achieve under each of the Strategic Themes by the end of 2019.

For ease of reference, the Strategic Themes, Strategic Objectives and Outcomes are presented in tabular form below so the connections between them can be easily identified.