Creating the HHS COVID-19 Public Education Media Campaign: Applying Systems Change Learnings

The COVID-19 Public Education Media Campaign was initiated in July 2020 by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The process by which the Campaign was developed and operated by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA) was different than for other HHS campaigns. Nine learnings from recent ASPA systems change efforts were employed to guide development and implementation of the Campaign. The learnings, based in communication science as well as experience, have not been applied or have been inconsistently applied in other HHS campaigns. In this case, their application kept the Campaign's work focused on public health needs and not on political diversions. Separable from content and media aspects of the Campaign, the development and operational process guided by the nine learnings resulted in accomplishments such as: (1) advisory input and operation by a team of Federal employees from across the US Government; (2) award of large Federal contracts in a much shorter time than is typical, (3) proactive response to concerns from Congress, largely driven by the news media, (4) ability to make Campaign revisions in the context of the rapidly evolving science about the pandemic, and (5) ability to transcend the unusual political realities of a Presidential election season and the transition of administrations. Ways the nine learnings were applied to the Campaign's creation and operation may provide useful guidance to U.S. Government officials and others planning and conducting similar efforts in politically charged environments.