Communication Strategy

Tactics

There are many communications vehicles available from which to choose. A number of them are listed on the last page of this Factsheet.

Having done your communications analysis, you will be able to narrow your choices to the communications vehicles that:

 Fit with the resources you already have

 Are the most effective communications vehicles to reach your target audiences and influence them with your message(s), and

 Help you achieve your goals and deliver the outcomes you want.

Timing is another very important consideration when choosing your communications vehicles. You don't want your messages competing unnecessarily with other events. Finally, there is the budget. Don't let a limited budget discourage you. There are many inexpensive communication vehicles.

Your communications plan may need a theme to tie it together. The theme line should be a short, punchy version of your main message and should be the link between all your activities and materials. Foodland Ontario's There's No Taste Like Home slogan is a good example of capturing a message (that Ontarians should buy Ontario-grown food) in one catchy phrase.

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Implementation

Make a list of all the activities that will take place:

 Before the launch of your communications campaign; for example, preparing a mailing list, writing a news release

 At the time of the launch; for example, distribution of the news release, and

 As a follow-up; for example, responding to media inquiries resulting from the news release.

If you develop a long-term plan, be sure to build in some check points to monitor progress and aid adjustments.

Step Six - Evaluation

How will you know if you are successful? Will the audiences receive the messages you intend them to receive, or will they get an entirely different message?

By evaluating your communications plan, you can learn how your plan worked with various audiences, which activities had the most impact, and which parts of the plan failed.

There are a variety of formal measurement techniques for measuring the results against your objectives, such as: readership surveys, attitude audits, focus group sessions. You can do your own evaluation on a less formal basis by assessing media coverage and talking to your clients.

The evaluation of your first plan should form the foundation of your next communications plan. Organization/Corporate Communications  Spokesperson  Speeches  Special events  Displays

 Trade shows or special client-group meetings  Annual and other reports

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11.2 INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION

Project management demands a free flow of communication with and among project team members, and internal and external project stakeholders. The project team needs frequent information from each of its team members to complete and improve the project and to understand the needs and expectations of the project's beneficiaries. Project Communication management is the systematic planning, implementing, monitoring, and revision of the exchange of information amongst the project team and the project stakeholders. Project communication management aims at timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage, and ultimate disposition of project information and knowledge. Communication among all project stakeholders is one of the main factors for the project success. It is a prerequisite of getting the things done in the right way and in the right time. Knowledge is power: sharing knowledge is reciprocal empowering amongst project stakeholders.

A good Project Plan has, in the methodology section, a sub-section dealing with communication management. A good project implementation plan always contains a communication plan; in any case it is important to plan communication at an early phase of project execution. The communication plan describes how the information and communication needs of project stakeholders will be met: a communication manager will design, and implement such a plan; thereafter s/he will evaluate how efficient and efficacious communication has been as a support activity facilitating all other project tasks. Never underestimate communication in project management. Communicate well, and the project will succeed. Communicate poorly, and even the most efficient efforts may be misperceived, misunderstood and poorly valued. In the the project execution phase, communication management is the implementation of the plan and involves essentially two processes: preparing (producing) and sharing (distributing) information.

While executing the plan, the Project Manager must be aware of how the organization will use the information, and whether the plan is effective. He/she must be flexible and ready to modify the plan if portions of it are not working as expected or communications needs change within the Performing Organization. Of the many mechanisms available to the Project Manager, status reporting is particularly useful for communicating the performance of a project.

In order to prepare and distribute properly the right information to the right stakeholders, the communication manager needs to: Analyse the communication needs of each stakeholders

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Identify the information for fulfilling the information needs of each stakeholder Identify the Method and the Effort Required Prioritise the Communication Options Information Distribution includes Project performance reporting, but is not limited to that: it entails also all tasks required to satisfy the information needs of all project stakeholders.