CFOB Newsletters - Submit an article
All CFOB directorates can submit an article, a reminder, a call letter or a message to be included in the newsletter. Topics for articles can range from any of CFOB's services to a new subject matter that is relevant to clients.
The CFOBrief is published every two months. CFOB’s Business Management Services (BMS) team reviews all articles and works with iService for the publication of the newsletter.
Please submit at least two weeks prior to the upcoming publication to give the BMS communications team enough time to review your submission. You will be contacted if major revisions are made to your article.
The newsletter and calls for articles will be issued as follows:
- Early May publication – call for articles April 1st
- Early July publication – call for articles June 1st
- Early September publication – call for articles August 1st
- Early November publication – call for articles October 1st
- Early January publication – call for articles December 1st
- Early March publication – call for articles February 1st
To submit an article, please follow the instructions below.
Steps to submit an article
Step i: Conceptualization
The first step is the conceptualization of your announcement. Clarify the concept by writing a brief description that explains the message in two sentences or less. Writing a rationale will allow you to gather your thoughts and simplify the point of your message when you want to explain it and justify the need for it in the newsletter.
The calendar (to come) will contain deadlines and therefore can act as a reference for articles to develop.
BMS may also encourage directorates to submit articles when a deadline is approaching, or with regard to an annual message or reminder, or if there is extra space to fill when preparing an upcoming newsletter.
Step ii: Preparation
Once you have conceptualized your idea, contact BMS Communications Team and provide them with context as well as your brief description. Inquire about the next newsletter issuance date and about your topic's relevancy.
Your article's topic must fall within the newsletter's business scope, which is to inform CFOB clients of important updates that affect them.
Step iii: Composition
When you are ready to compose your article, consider the following tips:
- Read articles previously published in the newsletter or the CFOBuzz for examples.
- Articles should be succinct and simple, between 30 and 400 words. If you have a lot of information to share, include hyperlinks to websites or links to documents on an open SharePoint for additional relevant information.
- Ensure your hyperlinks are functional in both official languages.
- Ensure you have included all relevant, detailed information in your article.
- Do a spellcheck using the F7 key in Microsoft Word.
The next section describes requirement of an article. Please see the criteria to guide you in developing your article.
The BMS Communications Team can work collaboratively with you to draft up, review and translate the message if required.
Step iv: Finalization and Approval
The Communications Team is made up of professional communication advisors with unique sets of skills. Their focus is on making your message interesting, relevant and aligned with the Branch and Department's priorities.
Upon receipt of your article, BMS will review and amend it if necessary. The team will ensure compliance to the legislative documentation on publishing communication material on the IntraWeb and on accessibility, such as:
- the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity,
- the Directive on the Management of Communications,
- the Standard on Web Accessibility, and
- ESDC Code of Conduct.
If significant changes are made to your content, BMS will send it back to you for review.
Get approval from DG
After BMS has reviewed your article, seek approval from your DG. Once approved, submit it to the Communications Team for publication.
Step v: Distribution
The Communications Team will prepare the next issue of the newsletter and include your article. Once approved by the CFO, the newsletter is sent to all listed recipients via email and it becomes accessible on iService.
Article Criteria
The criteria listed below are recommendations for writing an article for the CFOBrief.
Nature of the message
An article should cover only one message. The subject should be clear for any reader and should not divert throughout the article. It is possible to have more than one message, but they must be related to a common topic.
The nature of the message should be appropriate to a professional context and in line with the ESDC Code of Conduct. The CFOB communication channels must be used for work-related messages only. Do not use this newsletter as an opportunity to publish advertisements from a non-government source.
The message should be aligned with the Government of Canada's priorities, themes and objectives.
Content
The content needs to be clear, concise and relevant:
- Clear: Avoid vagueness and ambiguity; express a precise message in simple sentences that everyone can understand.
- Concise: Use the exact words without superfluous information.
- Relevant: The newsletter is intended to CFOB clients within ESDC to inform them of important messages that concerns them in the workplace.
A complete article should include answers to what, why, who, how, where and when. Think of any questions a reader may have while reading your message and include all the important information.
The message should not include personal implications or opinions of any kind. Keep the text objective and non-partisan. Stick to the facts and provide the sources of your facts.
IMPORTANT: Respect privacy rights and confidentiality of personal information when discussing protected subject matters. Avoid disclosing your or other's personal information in an article.
Length & Format
An article is expected to be concise with the message it conveys. The length of an article should contain between 30 and 400 words to be fully presented on the newsletter. Include hyperlinks to relevant and supporting information that can be useful to the reader, for example an iService page or a document.
Before the article is published, it will be formatted by a BMS team member to conform to the Government of Canada's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines regarding text font and size, paragraph separation, images and more. As the author of the article, concentrate on its content.
Audience
The CFOBrief is sent to all CFOB's clients at ESDC. A publication can aim a certain group, for example:
- CFOB employees
- Managers
- Acquisition card holders
- Travelers
- Senior Management
- Administrative Professionals
- BMS groups
Language
Since an article is intended for a large audience, it should be written in plain and simple language. Review your article to ensure it is easy to read and verify the grammar and spelling.
What to avoid:
- Professional jargon
- Acronyms unaccompanied by the term or name it represents
- Familiar sayings and informal language
Keep in mind:
- Preserve the language's idioms and structures
- Adjust your tone to the targeted audience
- Give context when you are making an announcement
The article must be in both French and English. Discuss with BMS for assistance with translation.
Title
The article with a good title is the one everyone is interested to read. The title should not be more than a few words, not exceeding one line and not a full sentence. Ideally, a punchy and catchy expression should represent the entire article.
The title should be shaped after the article is done. Only then can its core message be transposed into a title.
Copyrights & Images
As per the Guide to Copyright by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office,
Copyright commonly protects the following:
- literary works, such as books, pamphlets, computer programs and other works consisting of text
- dramatic works, such as films, plays, screenplays and scripts
- musical works, such as musical compositions
- artistic works, such as paintings, drawings, maps, photographs, sculptures and plans Copyright also applies to performers' performances, sound recordings and communication signals (radio waves).
When including content that may be protected by copyright, always reference the source.
If you wish to add an image, you have three options:
- Ensure the image is Government of Canada property;
- Create the image yourself without reproducing an existing protected image; or
- Use an image allowed for reuse.
Send us an article by email to publish in the CFOBrief, or events and deadlines that should be included in our Calendar of Events.