7 Steps For A Communication Plan 21p

7 steps for a communication plan

Presentation in the framework of the Preaccession project on EU Structure Funds in Poland 2004 Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

Purpose of communication: when a sender wants to send a message to a receiver in order to alter the behaviour of the reciever

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

7 steps for making a communication plan

1. Strategic choices 2. Target groups 3. Communication messages 4. Communication instruments 5. Organization and planning of communication 6. Budget 7. Evaluation and impact assessment Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

General remarks:

1. Every situation has its own starting position 2. First determine the existing situation 3. Discuss a communication plan with all stakeholders 4. Make the impact measurable 5. Think on informing your collegue first

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

1. STRATEGY

1.1 Define your communication strategy on the basis of your policy strategy (IROP) Q: what is the main target you want to reach ? Q: what are sub-targets you want to reach ? Q: how should these targets be reached ? Q: what communication instruments should be used ? Q: what processes should be gone through ? Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

1.2 what can communication contribute ? Q: what part of the project / results will be influenced or realised ? Q: enlarging know how on outcome of actions ? Q: enhancement of awareness / support / engagement ? Q: improvement of desired behavior ? Q: is communication complementary or competive to other instruments ( economic - legal) ? * economic : positive or negative sanctions * legal : legislation instead of communication Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

1.3 communication targets ? Q: what are the short term communication targets ? Q: when will the communication effort be succesfull ? Q: what is the envisaged “return on investment” regarding the communication effort ? Q: what are the expected qualitative and quantitative results (time frame / percentage target group / information level)? 1.4 in-sight in target groups ? Q: what is the level of information ? * zero base study on level of information / support * available : research - enquieries - screening ? Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

1.5 communication strategy ? Q: what is the communication strategy that should be realised ? Q: what is the added value of communication as a management instrument ? Q: what target groups have the biggest priority and in what order should they be approached ? Q: who is the messenger in the desired communication and what is the “tone” of the message ? (“ it´s the tone that makes the music ”) Q: what are the expected problems ? Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

2. TARGET GROUPS first: internal target groups definition: internal target groups are part of the organisation that is responsible for carrying out the project then: external target groups definition: external target groups are outside of the direct influence of the project but feel the positive or negative impact of the project. Q: what is the envisaged effect (know how, attitude, behaviour) of the communication with the internal and external target groups ? Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

Type of target groups: * depending target groups: persons or groups on whose judgement or co-operation the project relies in order to achieve its goals (decision takers, co-operating organisations experts, the press etc.) * policy target groups : groups on which the project is directely targeted * communication target groups: groups on which the communication is targeted (policy target groups or related groups relevant to achieve the desired goals)

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

3. COMMUNICATION MESSAGES. Central message: Q: what is the most important message you want to send ? Q: mission statement: summary in < 20 words !! Q: what are the interests and the requirements of the receiver of the message ? Q: what is the specific language / context of the receiver ? Q: is the message giving a positive and appealing perspective ?

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

Elements of communication messages: * relevant facts * positive and negative consequences * the way negative consequences are dealt with * a call for co-operation and support

Q: is the message recognised by the internal target groups ? Q: is the message supported by the most important senders ? Q: is the message specificaly targeted enough ? Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

existing means: Q: what are the existing means of communication that can be used for your purposes ? (advantages: receivers recognises / safes cost & time) who have been covered: Q: what part of the target groups have been succesfully covered ? Q: outcome analysis actual distribution of information ? (indicators to be defined !) Q: research or estimation of the impact of the distributed information / realised communication) Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

who have not been covered: Q: what part of the target groups have not been succesfully covered ? Q: what should be altered in the communication to improve the coverage of the information distribution ? Ways of communication: * written information * personal information * multimedia approach Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

4. COMMUNICATION MEANS

Many different ways of communication: * written information facts / quick / simple / targeted / actual * personal information difficult messages / interactive / targeted * multimedia approach broad / sensitive / large impact

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

communication matrix target group 1

target group 2

targetgroup 3

target group 4

targetgroup 5

web site

web site

web site

web site

web site

b rochure

b rochure

X b rochure

X b rochure

b rochure

X enquiery

X

enquiery

enquiery

enquiery

enquiery

manual

manual

manual

manual

personal letter

personal letter

personal letter

personal letter

X manual X personal letter

X

X

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

5. ORGANISATION AND PLANNING Q: what is the role of communication in the project ? Q: how are responsibilities and authorities divided ? Q: who is responsible for the proces ? Q: who is responsible for the end product ? Q: who decides on the budget ? Q: what are the human resources available ? Q: who is participating from the outside ? Q: what is the planning of the activities ? Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

6. BUDGET necessary for: * productions of communication means * organisation of activities * expert budget for advise, co-ordination and realisation of communication policy and activities specific elements: * fixed and flexible budgets * responsibilities for taking decisions on relevancy * cost / benifit ratio Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

7. EVALUATION AND IMPACT ASSESSEMENT Output indicators: numbers of communication products Result indicators: general or specific view on the communication products Impact indicators: communication impact measurement in actual behavior Important: * baseline study (o-base) * defined targets / reference material Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan

BASIC PRINCIPLES:

COMMUNICATION IS A TWO WAY PROCESS

YOU NEVER COMMUNICATE ON YOUR OWN

COMMUNICATION IS ONLY SUCCESFULL IF THERE IS A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOUR

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan