PURPOSE
The strategic communications plan is designed to identify goals and strategies to eff ectively communicate with community members, drive the development of internal communications policies, and improve the overall eff ectiveness of the City in meeting the needs of the
community.
This plan will lay the foundation for future policies and programs and will be a dynamic document reviewed and updated annually in response to ongoing assessment and evaluation.
BACKGROUND
In 2013, the City Manager appointed a group of staff representatives of all City departments to convene in a Communications Committee to assess the City’s needs for better internal and external communications. Despite employing a wide variety of communications strategies to reach intended audiences, the Committee agreed that signifi cant room for improvement in City communications eff orts exists. Though the needs of each department vary and
the purposes for outreach may at times be disparate, there is full agreement that there is a need to improve coordinated, targeted, and timely communications and outreach solutions.
City of Mill Valley
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
June 2014
The Communications Committee made a number of recommendations to the City Manager to improve city-wide communications. Some of these recommendations included an update of the current City website, a coordinated internal computer hardware/software upgrade, a unifi ed social media strategy, and enhanced attention to improved quality, responsiveness and branding of all City of Mill Valley communications. In order to enact these recommendations, the Committee suggested the need for additional staff /
personnel resources and the development of a comprehensive communications strategy. In January of this year, the City Council held a strategic planning retreat and endorsed the initiative to expand our focus and commitment to communication. The Council included implementing an improved comprehensive communication strategy as one of its Priority Projects, again highlighting its importance. In March 2014, the City Manager created a “Communications Group” to achieve the goals set by City Council and the Communications Committee by developing internal staff resources as well as contracting professional services. The Communications Group was created to further evaluate, recommend, design, and implement internal and external communications solutions, as well as the development of a Strategic Communications Plan.
Assistant to the City Manager
This existing position will supervise the eff orts of the Community Engagement Supervisor and the Communications Specialist and provide direction and oversight of the overall communications strategy.
Communications Liaisons
Current and future City staff identifi ed, trained and equipped in each department to assist in communication and outreach and to develop individual department communications sub-plans.
Community Engagement
Supervisor
This new position will facilitate City-wide activities involving the coordination and dissemination of information to the public and media using multiple outreach platforms. The position will facilitate improved internal operations and workfl ow by recommending and developing communications policy and overseeing City-wide hardware and software upgrades. The position will also enhance and expand public engagement strategies such as the strategic use of social media and multiple communication and outreach platforms and the development and implementation of a new City of Mill Valley website.
Communications Specialist
This part-time contract service provider will implement elements of the City’s communications strategy specifi cally in the area of developing well-written and compelling content, and then using traditional and social media to disseminate the information. Content will include information about upcoming activities, meetings, projects, potentiallycomplex issues, and feature the good works and accomplishments of individual departments and the City as a whole.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
THE COMMUNICATIONS
GROUP IS COMPRISED OF:
MILL VALLEY COMMUNITY MEMBERS
In order to determine the most eff ective ways to communicate important
information and develop key messages, the Communication Group has identifi ed
the audiences within the community.
Primary Target
Audience
Residents of Mill Valley (homeowners and renters), Mill Valley Business
Community (business owners and employees), City Employees, City Boards, Commissions and Committees, Property owners (residential and business), Families, Users of City services.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS
& COMMUNICATION VEHICLES
Secondary Target
Audience
Mill Valley Schools, Mill Valley Community Organizations, Other Local Government Agencies, Media (print, radio, television, internet).
Tertiary Target
Audience
Future/potential business owner, Future employees, Potential funders, Seniors, Tourists, Recreational users (mountain bikers, hikers), Artists, Food and spirits connoisseurs.
Print/Direct Mailing
Activity Guide, postcards, fl yers, public notices, letters, permits, maps, handouts, City budget, business license renewal notices, posters, signs, brochures.
Public Meetings - Elected
and appointed policy-making bodies, Neighborhood
Association meetings, “State of the City” presentations, Annual Community Meeting
Direct Public Contact
- Over-the-counter
interactions, Councilmember on the Plaza, Educational programs (Wetlands Days, fi eld trips to City Hall), Special outreach events
Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, NextDoor, YouTube
Signs
Banners, electronic sign trailer, public notice posters, neighborhood fl ooding/fi re signs
HOW THE CITY COMMUNICATES
The Communications Group identifi ed the following existing communication
methods that the City currently employs or has the potential to use in the near
future.
City Website
The main City Website pages, news and calendar items, plus: Webcasting, CRW Public Access Site (not yet launched), eComment, Recreation
Registration site
Emails from City Staff
Direct emailing to individuals and groups (HOA list),
City eNotifi cations, Email marketing (Constant Contact)
Local Print/Online Media
Marin IJ, MV Patch, MV Herald. Patch: City of Mill Valley Blog, Library Blog & Library Events on Calendar
Television and Cablecast
Local news coverage (coverage of storms, spills, etc), Local Government Channel for City Council, Planning Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission meetings
Video
Local movie theater video, Online videos
Staff Reports and Minutes
Emergency Communications
TENS, alertmarin.org
Governmental Offi ces
Library, Community Center, City Hall, Wastewater Treatment Plant
Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center
Printed collateral, Friday Flash email
Local Schools
Monthly newsletters, PTAs
Community Organizations
Neighborhood groups, PTO’s, churches, civic organizations
Community Events
Memorial Day Parade, Fall Arts Festival, Dipsea Race, Mill Valley Film Festival
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN GUIDING
PRINCIPLES
Guiding the planning and implementation of the Strategic Communications
Plan is the City of Mill Valley and the City Council mission statements:
The mission of the City of Mill Valley is to provide a full range of municipal services to residents and businesses in accordance with the general plan and City Council policy and direction. City staff shall deliver those services in an effi cient, eff ective and courteous manner with a commitment to operational excellence.
Mission
The principles of the Strategic Communications Plan are also derived from the overall vision identifi ed by the City Council in their strategic planning process, and the Community Values identifi ed in the MV2040 General Plan.
City Council
Core Values:
• A balanced, inclusive, and open approach to policy-making and city leadership.
• Resident participation that promotes open communication, mutual respect, and the
development of community leaders.
MV2040 General Plan
Community Values:
• Operational excellence by city offi cials and employees.
• Cultivating community participation, volunteerism, mutual respect, civil discourse and civic responsibility.
• Furthering excellence in public education and an open, eff ective and mutually supportive relationship among the community, public schools and the City.
City Council
Key Issues:
• Eff ective two way communication between City staff /Council and the community.
• Excellence in customer service.
The mission of the Mill Valley City Council is to serve faithfully the residents and businesses of Mill Valley and nurture the City’s overall quality of life. The Council does this by setting policy for the City and direction for Mill Valley’s City Manager and its Boards and Commissions, at all times guided by values core to Mill Valley’s heritage.
The goals of the Strategic Communications Plan are derived from the City of Mill Valley and City Council Mission Statements, by the City Council’s Core Values and Key Issues, and the Community Values identifi ed in the MV 2040 General Plan.
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
PLAN GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND
ACTIONS
SUMMARY: STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION PLAN GOALS:
Goal 1. Customer Service
Provide high quality customer service through responsive, professional and transparent interactions.
Goal 2. Communication Consistency
Communicate City news and information internally and externally in a timely, cohesive, and proactive manner, so that community members are well informed and able to access information pertaining to the City.
Goal 3. Civic Engagement
Cultivate community participation, volunteerism, mutual respect, civil discourse and civic responsibility by encouraging two-way communication and public involvement in City decision-making processes.
Goal 4. Multiple Platforms
Explore and utilize multiple communications platforms, including traditional and new media to expand and improve public outreach, transparency, information access and sharing with the public.
Goal 5. Measurement and Evaluation
Conduct ongoing measurement and evaluation of the Strategic Communications Plan.
Policies and programs will be developed and implemented stemming from the goals listed below. These goals, and their subsequent objectives and actions, will be revisited and revised over time to keep up-to-date and forward looking.
The following section expands upon each goal and
lists the objectives and recommended actions to
ensure that the Strategic Communications Plan goals
can be implemented eff ectively.
GOAL 1. CUSTOMER SERVICE
Provide high quality customer service through responsive, professional and
transparent interactions.
Objective 1:
Refl ect the City’s mission and the City Council’s Core Values and Key Issues in everyday business interactions.Action 1: Emphasize to current staff the City’s mission
and the City Council’s Core Values and Key Issues.
Action 2: Educate and train new employees to
understand and apply the City’s mission and the City Council’s Core Values and Key Issues in everyday interactions.
Action 3: Inform community members of the City’s
mission and the City Council’s Core Values and Key Issues utilizing a variety of communication methods.
Objective 2:
Provide high quality customer service at all times.Action 1: The Communications Group will develop an
internal City Communications Policy for outreach and public engagement outlining specifi cations for actions, response time to public inquiries, complaints and requests for information.
Action 2: Research costs and approach alternatives
associated with conducting a customer service satisfaction survey.
Action 3: Conduct customer service survey which
employs diff erent approaches, vehicles or tools for diff erent segments of population. Review the results and develop recommendations.
GOAL 2. COMMUNICATION CONSISTENCY
Communicate City news and information internally and externally in a timely,
cohesive, and proactive manner, so that community members are well informed
and able to access information pertaining to the City.
Objective 1:
Disseminate information to community members related to City activities, projects, events and initiatives in a cohesive manner.Action 1: The Communications Group will manage
internal and external communications strategy for the City.
Action 2: Ensure consistency and quality of the
content and appearance for all City publications and communications.
Action 3: Develop new guidelines, procedures and
training on how to use City communication tools to consistently coordinate and maximize the distribution of information, including a Social Media policy.
Action 4: Develop a style guide to assist with branding,
design guidelines, content strategy, and general best practices of communications and outreach.
Objective 2:
Disseminate information to community members related to City activities, projects, events and initiatives in a timely and proactive manner.Action 1: The Communications Group will be
responsible for identifying and coordinating City information to be proactively and strategically communicated to the community.
Action 2: At the beginning of each year, the
Communications Group will assist Department Heads to identify 5-8 issues/programs on which they will require communication strategy assistance in the upcoming months.
Action 3: Create an annual calendar of City outreach
eff orts to give the Communications Group a long-range overview of ongoing and special outreach eff orts, to better allocate resources, and to create interdepartmental transparency and coordination.
Objective 3:
Improve internal communication operations in order to improve public outreach and increaseinterdepartmental cooperation, eff ectiveness, and productivity.
Action 1: Identify and train key staff as Communications
Liaisons, who will work with the Communications Group to assist in City-wide communication and outreach eff orts.
Action 2: Communications Liaisons will act in each
Department as a central point person to gather and prioritize City information for distribution.
Action 3: Communications Liaisons will be trained to
establish common standards and a baseline skill set for excellent community outreach.
Action 4: Create shared calendars for events, programs,
and services to increase interdepartmental awareness and communication.
GOAL 3. CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Cultivate community participation, volunteerism, mutual respect, civil
discourse and civic responsibility by encouraging two-way communication and
public involvement in City decision-making processes.
Objective 1:
Expand and improve two-way communication, civic engagement, public outreach, transparency, information access and sharing with the public.Action 1: Use traditional and new media, including
social media (such as Twitter and Nextdoor) and mobile technologies to enhance and expand communications.
Action 2: Coordinate a multimodal survey of
community members and business owners in Mill Valley to assess the eff ectiveness of existing outreach eff orts and solicit suggestions for additional or new information sharing and outreach approaches and tools.
Action 3: Use small surveys (e.g. one question in
an e-newsletter) to solicit input from the public on important topics and to continually assess and evaluate the Strategic Communications Plan.
Objective 2:
Identify opportunities to increase public awareness, participation and community engagement.Action 1: Continue and expand reach of Neighborhood
Association meetings and “State of the City” presentations which relate information about
government processes, City services, upcoming events and major projects, and off er an opportunity for direct feedback and comments from community members.
Action 2: Develop a feature called “Previews and
Reviews” which will distill the upcoming City Council agenda into an easily consumed “Preview” summary, and producing a related “Review” summary based on Council actions.
Action 3: After a one year pilot of “Previews and
Reviews,” assess impact and, if successful, implement for additional City Boards, Commissions and Committees.
Objective 3:
Encourage resident involvement and knowledge of Citygovernment programs, services, and initiatives via print materials.
Action 1: Revise all City public notices to satisfy all
legal noticing requirements and also be well written, accessible, understandable and provide opportunities for input.
Action 2: Develop a biannual printed newsletter to keep
community members informed about City activities, projects, events and initiatives.
Objective 4:
Communicate accurate, factual, objective information about issues facing the City.Action 1: Enable all public employees to communicate
with community members about policies, programs, services and initiatives they are familiar with and for which they have responsibility.
Action 2: Communicate the expectation that employees
shall provide information services in a non-partisan fashion consistent with the principles of a balanced, inclusive, and open approach to local governance.
GOAL 3. CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
(CONTINUED)Cultivate community participation, volunteerism, mutual respect, civil
discourse and civic responsibility by encouraging two-way communication and
public involvement in City decision-making processes.
Objective 5:
Present compelling, engaging content that community members will fi nd useful and interesting and will increaseawareness and familiarity with the functions of our local government and the activities in the community.
Action 1: Highlight and promote the City’s good
works, achievements, progress on projects, awards and accolades.
Action 2: Highlight existing City services, interesting
historical facts, and basic information about the
functions of local government and how City services are performed and funded.
Action 3: Identify and develop key publications
from all departments to distribute at community events to consistently provide community members with important information from across the City organization.
Action 4: Locate City literature displays in public places
throughout the community to improve public access to basic City information and resources.
Action 5: Select two community events annually to
provide information and highlight City services in a coordinated manner.
GOAL 4. MULTIPLE PLATFORMS
Explore and utilize multiple communications platforms, including traditional
and new media to expand and improve public outreach, transparency,
information access and sharing with the public.
Objective 1:
Identify and utilize diff erent approaches and tools to reach diff erent segments of the community.Action 1: Assess the current platforms and methods
used by the City for their eff ectiveness for reaching diff erent segments of the community.
Action 2: Identify new platforms and partnerships (i.e.
Mill Valley School District) and assess their potential eff ectiveness for reaching diff erent segments of the community.
Action 3: Develop policies (social media, website, email)
for using platforms.
Objective 2:
Develop a New City of Mill Valley WebsiteAction 1: Assess the online needs of the public and each
department.
Action 2: Investigate the best options for a new website. Action 3: Update and redesign website optimized for
mobile traffi c and fl exible enough to meet the needs of the City for the next decade.
Action 4: Designate and train Communications
Liaisons to update and maintain the website.
Objective 3:
Expand the City’s multimedia presence in the form of videos as both stand alone and complementary resources.Action 1: Produce videos which educate community
members about City services and programs, highlighting City events and activities.
Action 2: Develop a City of Mill Valley YouTube channel
for pertinent video messaging.
Action 3: Explore and establish procedures for
creating and disseminating videos related to emergency information and high profi le issues.
Objective 4:
Upgrade Citywide hardware/ software technology in a coordinated eff ort to maximize the effi ciency of IT systems and inter-department workfl ow and to more effi ciently conduct City business and provide information to the public.Action 1: Conduct needs assessment of all departments
related to IT.
Action 2: Coordinate hardware/software upgrades with
Marin IT.
Action 3: Develop ongoing employee training to
establish common technology platforms, standards and a baseline skill set for improved effi ciency and use of shared communications technology.
GOAL 5. MEASURE AND EVALUATE
Conduct ongoing measurement and evaluation of the Strategic
Communications Plan.
Objective 1:
Engage in pre-activity measurement to assess existing attitudes, awareness, needs and preferences of target audiences and stakeholders.Action 1: Utilize the work of the Communications
Committee which conducted a City-wide inventory of current communication and outreach methods and assessed their eff ectiveness.
Action 2: Conduct Department Head interviews and
receive feedback from Councilmembers to assess current communication practices, needs and strategies.
Action 3: Develop an annual calendar of outreach eff orts
to assess improvement options.
Action 4: Utilize the annual Community Meeting
to conduct a Communications Survey to determine what information is important to the community, their preferred methods of getting information and communicating with the City, and suggestions for improvement.
Objective 2:
Engage in pre-activity information gathering to determine baseline data.
Action 1: Gather data on website analytics (visitors,
pageviews, length on page), email marketing metrics (subscribers, open rate, click throughs), social media metrics (retweets, followers, mentions).
Action 2: Gather data on uses of services, complaint
tracking, inquiry tracking, event attendances,
downloads, and other metrics to establish a baseline of data.
Objective 3:
Engage in post-activity measurement to assess attitudes, awareness, needs and preferences of target audiences and stakeholders.Action 1: Conduct follow-up Department Head
interviews to assess communication eff orts and strategies.
Action 2: Utilize the Communications Committee to
assess the eff ectiveness of the Communications Plan.
Action 3: Utilize the annual Community Meeting
to conduct a follow-up Communications Survey to determine what information is important to the community, their preferred methods of getting information and communicating with the City, and suggestions for improvement.
Objective 4:
Engage in post-activity information gathering to determine impact of Communications Plan.Action 1: Gather data on post-activity website analytics
(visitors, pageviews, length on page), email marketing metrics (subscribers, open rate, click throughs), social media metrics (retweets, followers, mentions).
Action 2: Gather data on uses of services, complaint
tracking, inquiry tracking, event attendances,
downloads, and other metrics to establish a benchmark of data.
GOAL 5. MEASURE AND EVALUATE
(CONTINUED)Conduct ongoing measurement and evaluation of the Strategic
Communications Plan.
Objective 5:
Review data and makerecommendations to modify and improve plan.
Action 1: Collect information and feedback to
determine the eff ectiveness of communications strategies.
Action 2: Make course corrections based on these
fi ndings.
Objective 6:
Integrate ongoing public assessment into work practices of all departments.Action 1: Identify existing modes of daily, face-to-face
public interaction that yield opportunities for gathering public input.
Action 2: Integrate simple surveys into existing email
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION PLAN OUTCOMES
A number of tangible outcomes and indicators of progress will result from
achieving the goals of the Strategic Communication Plan.
GOAL
OUTCOME
Customer Service: Provide high quality customer service through responsive, professional and transparent interactions.
Increased trust and support from the community as a result of positive interactions with City staff and eff ective communications.
Communication Consistency: Communicate City news and information internally and externally in a timely, cohesive, and proactive manner, so that community members are well informed and able to access information pertaining to the City.
Increased community understanding and knowledge of important issues, as well as the basic functions of local government and how City services are performed and funded.
Civic Engagement: Cultivate community
participation, volunteerism, mutual respect, civil discourse and civic responsibility by encouraging two-way communication and public involvement in City decision-making processes.
Increased community member involvement in City decision-making processes, as well as city programs, services, committees and commissions.
Multiple Platforms: Explore and utilize multiple communications platforms, including traditional and new media to expand and improve public outreach, transparency, information access and sharing with the public.
City communications will reach and engage a wide range of community members through multiple outreach methods.
Measurement and Evaluation: Conduct ongoing measurement and evaluation of the Strategic Communications Plan with the intention of modifying the plan as needed in response to feedback and ongoing assessment.
City offi cials will gain a stronger, evolving
understanding of the needs of the community and will use data to determine and utilize the best and most eff ective communications eff orts.
CONCLUSION
The City Council and staff value
communication and recognize the need to provide timely information that is transparent, cohesive, accessible, and cost effi cient. While we have devoted much energy to develop and manage our current tools and practices, we recognize that a much more robust and comprehensive managed communication eff ort is necessary. This Strategic Communications Plan clearly lays out the Guiding Principles, Goals, Objectives, and Actions for the City to make a critical shift in communications strategy towards a more coordinated and comprehensive approach. A strategic approach to the City’s communications will ensure we are reaching more people, engaging more stakeholders and operating in a more open and transparent manner, and will lay the groundwork for excellence in communications for many years to come.
Next steps in the process include policy and program development, implementation and training, assessment and evaluation, and ongoing updates and revisions to the plan to achieve our stated outcomes.
