The Communications Process - Step 1

Step 1 - Plan

In practically any area of activity, it is necessary to plan in order to succeed. A good communications plan (or 'strategy') will pay for itself many times over by helping you focus your thinking and optimise the use you make of your resources.

The Communications Strategy Proforma (Word 24 KB) and Risk Assessment Form (Word 38 KB) are useful tools when developing a strategy.

Scoping

Before planning in earnest begins, it is desirable to scope the project or get a broad sense of what it will involve, for example:

· What are we trying to achieve? Why?
· Who do we need to communicate with?
· What do we want to communicate?
· How will we communicate?
· How much money do we have to achieve this? How many people?
· How will we know if we have succeeded?

Sometimes your client will be able answer these questions. At other times, you may have to take more responsibility for scoping the project.

Whether or not you receive a Client Brief Form (Word 34 KB), as a communications practitioner you are expected to exercise your professional judgement when scoping projects. It is your responsibility to advise the client on any issues or implications associated with the proposed course of action, and where appropriate, give optional courses of action.

In many cases, the final decision will still rest with the client, however by providing your comments and advice, you will have ensured that the decision is better informed.

There is an increasing need for Government communications activities to be more coordinated and 'joined-up'. Therefore, in scoping an activity it is important to ensure that any collaborative opportunities with other Government agencies have been identified and are leveraged. A prime example of this approach is the 'Go for your life' campaign.

Developing the plan

Having scoped your project in broad terms, you can proceed to the detailed planning stage.

Virtually all communications plans will contain the following components:
Aim and objectives
Key messages
Target audiences
Methods/tools
Tasks and timelines
Evaluation strategy
Purchasing and Procurement
Budget

These components are not independent of each other. Decisions made in respect to one will often require adjustments to be made to others. As a result, communications planning tends to be an iterative approach-that is it involves working and re-working a plan until a integrated, balanced and robust result is achieved.

During the planning phase consideration must also to given to:
The need for market research
Getting approvals

Aim and objectives

All communications plans require aims and objectives if they are to achieve the intended outcomes.

• The Aim is the broad purpose for which you are undertaking the communications project.
• The Objectives are the specific and measurable things you are aiming to achieve.

Aims
A communications plan normally has one main aim, which relates to the communications activity alone, for example:

• Substantially increase public use of the Victorian Government's Internet portal;
• Explain and promote the benefits of the new recreational fishing licence;
• Ensure women over 50 years of age are informed about the availability of free mammograms.

Objectives
The example aims above are very broad. They give a good sense of what the activity is intended to achieve, but don't specify exactly what needs to be achieved, or how it will be achieved. The next step is to define objectives that will provide these details.
The key to developing objectives is that they should be SMART:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Time-bound

Having SMART objectives is essential to achieving a successful communications program. Without clear objectives you won't know exactly where you are going, and you won't know whether you have arrived. Without measurable objectives, you won't be able to evaluate meaningfully.

The Communications Strategy Proforma (Word 24 KB) is useful when developing a strategy

Key messages

Once you have developed the aim and objectives for your communications plan you will need to develop key messages.

Key messages are the most succinct statement of the message you wish your target audiences to receive that you are able to make. Sometime they can be expressed in a single statement; at other times, in a series of statements.

Key messages are important because they help everyone working on the communications project to stay focused on exactly what is being communicated, thereby reducing the possibility of mixed messages.

When developing key messages, it is important to keep in mind:

• Your audience’s current awareness, knowledge and attitudes towards the issue.
• The response you want from your target audience/s (e.g. are you educating or informing, seeking to change attitudes or behaviours?).

It is also important to recognise that there is a limit to the amount of messages which can be communicated, and often a trade-off between the number and complexity of your key messages and the level of uptake achieved.
Target audiences

In conjunction with defining your key messages, it is essential to define the target audience/s that will receive those messages.

Sometimes, there may be a single, homogeneous target audience; in other cases there may be multiple audiences.

At this point, it is important to distinguish which audiences have distinct communications needs. It should then be possible to select and prioritise audiences into primary target audience, secondary target audience etc.

As with key messages, there tends to be a trade off involved between the size of the audience you reach and the intensity with which you reach it. While there is often a temptation to identify very broad target audiences (like 'all Victorians'), it is usually preferable to pare back this back to a more tightly defined audience (or set of audiences) which may be targeted more accurately.

Targeting materials for special needs

Having identified your target audiences and segmented them, it is necessary to consider whether they include groups which may have special needs. This include:

• Older people
• People with low literacy
• People with a disability
• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• People in rural/regional areas

The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring that all members of the community have access to information and communications, and it is important that these groups' needs are considered when developing materials.

Resources regarding communicating with people with a disability include Inclusive Consultation and Communication with People with a Disability: A Guide for Victorian Government Departments and Agencies the Guide to Closed Captioning (Word 31 KB) in respect to TV advertising, and a fact sheet on Accessible Web Attachments (Word 28 KB).

Resources on multicultural communications include CALD Communications in Victoria (Word 40 KB) and the CALD Report.
Methods/tools

Communications practitioners today are confronted by a wide range of media and tools available for use.

Each has its own pros and cons depending on the message content, creative approach, target audience, situation, timeframe, etc. In many cases, a combination of methods/tools is likely to offer the best chances of success.

When selecting methods and tools, consider the following questions:

• What are your objectives? Attitude or behavioural change? Increased knowledge or awareness?
• What are your key messages? Are they short and sweet? Long and complex?
• What target audience/s are you trying to reach? What is their media usage? What media do they most trust?
• How do the competing media compare in terms of audience reach per dollar spent?

Whatever media are selected, it is essential that the communications material comply with Victorian Government branding requirements.

Major media and tools available include:

• Advertising: TV, radio, print, web, outdoor.
• Publications: books, brochures, fact sheets, newsletters, posters.
• Events: launches, speeches, open days, public events.
• Media relations: media releases, media conferences, briefings.
• Web: web pages, web advertising
• Video and film
• Direct marketing
• Sponsorship
• Consultation
• Photos and graphics

Tasks and Timelines

A key component of the communications plan sets out the tasks to be done, their timelines, and who will be responsible for them.

Ideally, one person will assume the role of overall project manager and will be responsible for issuing the tasks/timelines schedule, updates and changes.

An effective task/timelines schedule should not only be accurate, comprehensive and realistic, it should also have a high level of buy-in from all participants.

Failure to develop an adequate tasks and timelines schedule can lead to confusion, missed deadlines, misunderstandings and tension and ultimately, failure to achieve objectives.

Larger and more complex projects can benefit from the use of formal project planning tools such as MS Project.

Evaluation Strategy

Evaluation is a critical aspect of communications as it is essential for accountability, and for improvement of work practices.

Although the most visible evaluation activity occurs after program implementation, it is essential that the implementation strategy be determined when the communications plan is first being drawn up.

It is not possible to successfully graft evaluation activity on to a communications activity after the fact.

The Victorian Government strongly supports evaluation of communications activities and its Evaluation Guidelines (Word 55 KB) recommend that all significant communications activities be evaluated.

Further information on evaluation is available in Step 3: Evaluation.

Purchasing and procurement

Outsourcing communications
Communications activities often require resources or expertise that can’t be provided in-house. In these instances, outside suppliers are used.

The Victorian Government has established a range of panel contracts to facilitate the procurement of specialist communications, creative and media buying services. The use of panels is mandatory for many government agencies.

Briefing consultants and contractors is a core task of many communications practitioners.

Financial considerations
Financial delegation rules apply throughout Government, but dollar thresholds (for verbal quotes, written quotes, tenders, etc.) vary between agencies. For details on your agency's arrangements and delegations, consult your branch or agency finance officer.
The Victorian Government Purchasing Board (VGPB) have developed a range of guidelines and resource materials to assist when engaging and managing outside suppliers.

Budget

As with any activity, budget is a critical factor in communications projects. Sometimes, the budget is a given and the practitioner must tailor the program to fit within it. As long as the budget is realistic, this approach can help focus the mind - and sharpen the pencil!

On other occasions, communications practitioners may be asked to advise on budgets for particular projects - sometimes a ballpark figure for scoping purposes - at others, a more precise, itemised budget.

In either situation, it is essential to ensure that the budget is adequate to achieve the desired objectives. It is the practitioner's responsibility to inform the client if the budget is unrealistic in terms of the outcomes sought.

If the budget is inadequate but cannot be increased, then the project objectives should be reviewed and brought back to a realistic, achievable level.

In either scenario, it is important that all parties to the project are clear on what can realistically be delivered for the available dollars. There is no point in over-promising, and running the risk of client disappointment when hoped-for results fail to eventuate.

Getting approvals

At the outset of the project, clarify what will be approved, by whom and when, and write this into the project plan.

Consult with those stakeholders who can help or hinder your project. This will maximise their buy-in and minimise their opposition.

Consider both the mandatory, formal approvals that you require and the informal approvals stakeholders, which are not strictly necessary but are highly desirable.

An Artwork Approval Form (Word 36 KB) may be useful to ensure effective interaction with designers.

Ensure communications activities go through the appropriate government approval processes. For further information contact: scb@dpc.vic.gov.au