Mandate of the DoIS

The Department of Information Services in Banjul works to enable, as well as to ensure that the Government Communicates, and that it does so successfully.

Vision: "A society with highly developed and effective public information Services."

Mission: "To ensure that the Gambia Government Communicates successfully."

Goal: To have in place within the period 2007-2011 efficient Government information services which contribute effectively toward attainment of the goals of the national Vision 2020.

The Department of Information Services is one of the departments under the Department of State for Communications and Information Technology (DOSCIT).

The Department of Information Services in Banjul is an agency of the Government of the Republic of The Gambia. It is a publicly-funded entity from the regular budget of the central government. The running costs of the DoIS are provided for in the annual Budget of the Gambia Government. DoIS's operational budget for 2007 totals D931,520 or just under one million dalasis.

The Department of Information Services has a staff of 33 permanent employees (2007 Estimates). Personnel of the GIS are civil servants and members of the Media Cadre of the Civil Service and they engage in press, publicity and public relations work.

Organisational Structure of DoIS

The Department of Information Services is headed by a Director who is responsible for the administration/management of the institution.

There is the Information Services Division which is the technical wing of the Department. There is also a unit of Information Services Division called the News Agency and Newspaper Publication Unit (NANPU).

The Information Services Division is responsible for publicity and publications, responding to public enquiries, managing the reference library; managing photos library/archive with a collection of official photographs starting from pre-independence period to date.

NANPU is responsible for production of the government funded newspaper called The Gambia Daily. NANPU is also handling the operations of the state-owned national press agency which is called the Gambia News Agency (GAMNA) which operates under DoIS in Banjul.

The DoIS has Information Centres located in the regional administrative areas in the provinces. The Information Centre in Mansakonko serves as the central coordinating office in the provinces for a national network linking the Banjul head office to all our provincial centres/operations.

The regional Information Centres are manned by the regional Information Officers who provide press and publicity services, and who work closely with the regional governor's office in the area and other local authorities and institutions, both public and private.

The Department of Information Services is one of the oldest institutions in the country. According to reports, it was once located in the office of the Prime Minister in Banjul, since its creation predates the coming of the Republic of the Gambia.