Mission and Responsibilities
- The Office of Communications and Outreach (OCO) is responsible for the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department’s or ED’s) communications and outreach activities. These activities engage the public, including education, community, business, parent, and student groups, and other organizations.
- Communications include interaction and collaboration with the media and intergovernmental and interagency organizations. OCO directs, coordinates, and recommends strategies for activities designed to:
- Ensure that the public understands the Department’s policies and programs and the Secretary’s priorities.
- Initiate and oversee specialized and proactive public outreach relating to the Department’s mission.
- Develop productive working relationships with the press, mass media outlets, state and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and other federal agencies.
- Work with the Department’s principal offices to develop, coordinate, and oversee communications strategies and efforts to ensure ED delivers a clear, coherent message.
- Manage and create high-quality digital, web, and multimedia content, including but not limited to social media, graphics, video broadcasts, publications, written documents, and other communications products.
- Lead, monitor, and include interagency cooperation in the Department.
- Manage core federal recognition programs in collaboration with the states.
Organization
OCO is under the supervision of the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach, who reports directly to the Secretary of Education. The Assistant Secretary directs, coordinates, and leads the following organizational components:
- Office of the Assistant Secretary
- Management
- Outreach
- Communications
Functions and Responsibilities of OCO Components
Office of the Assistant Secretary
OCO’s Assistant Secretary leads policy development for public engagement and outreach for the Administration’s education agenda. The office designs, develops, and coordinates specialized strategic communications, media, and outreach efforts and manages the organization’s components. The office advises the Secretary on communications and outreach policy, articulates the Department’s messaging, relays Department and Administration priorities to national news media on critical and sensitive issues, and develops innovative communications strategies.
The Senior Advisor is responsible for program accountability and directs and supervises OCO career staff.
Management
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to perform a variety of administrative functions.
- Executing OCO’s budget to ensure efficient and effective use of funding.
- Implementing OCO’s human capital plan to ensure recruitment and retention of talent.
- Providing technical assistance to staff on a variety of administrative issues including travel and acquisition requirements.
- Providing technical assistance to the Assistant Secretary and senior staff on general administrative and management issues.Formulating OCO’s organizational performance, employee training programs, and continuous improvement and innovation initiatives.
- Directing OCO's strategic planning efforts and annual program performance planning.
- Implementing workforce planning activities, controlled correspondence and clearance responses, budget formulation, employee engagement programs, and FOIA responses on behalf of OCO,
- Providing leadership in designing, developing, and assessing alternative management practices that lead to productivity gains.
- Coordinating management evaluations, workforce effectiveness, skill assessments, and organizational planning studies for OCO to ensure efficiency.
Outreach
The Outreach Division is responsible for:
- Customizing communication to key stakeholders, communities, and citizens at the national, state, and local levels.
- Building partnerships with state and local public officials.
- Regularly engaging with governors’ education policy advisors, Chief State School Officers, State Board of Education leaders, and their representative organizations.
- Coordinating with the White House Intergovernmental Affairs Office and other federal agencies.
- Managing the Department’s recognition programs, including U.S. Presidential Scholars, the President’s Education Awards Program (PEAP), and the Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award.
- Tracking and reporting state executive and legislative activity and education news and information.
- Hosting in-person and video conference meetings with national, state, and local groups and officials.
Communications
The Digital Media and Creative Services Division is responsible for:
- Managing the creative direction of the Department's web, social media, and studio products as well as governance of the Department's digital content.
- Creating, managing, and defending the Department’s digital brand and voice and tone.
- Analyzing data to measure the impact of the Department’s digital communications activities and recommending future improvements.
- Establishing and enforcing digital content governance policy and standards.
- Creating and managing content for the Department’s enterprise-level social media accounts.
- Maintaining the Department's physical studio space and handling official photography and videography.
Order of Succession
In the event that the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office and the office is thereby deemed to be vacant, as defined by the Vacancies Act, and the President has not designated in writing another individual to act as the Assistant Secretary, the Deputy Assistant Secretary, as the designated "first assistant" under the Vacancies Act, shall perform the functions and duties of the office in an acting capacity. If both the offices of the Assistant Secretary and the Deputy Assistant Secretary are vacant, or the time period during which the Deputy Assistant Secretary may serve in an acting capacity has expired, the individuals listed below in the order shown are authorized to perform the functions and duties of the office of the Assistant Secretary, except for any functions and duties that are required by law to be performed only by the Assistant Secretary or by someone officially acting in such capacity:
- Senior Advisor
- Director of Digital Media and Creative Services
- Director of Outreach