HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-11-2014 - 4ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: September 11, 2014
Action Agenda
Item No. 4
SUBJECT: Update on Strategic Communications Plan (SCP)
DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No
ATTACHMENT(S)
A) SCP Draft Outline - 9/02/14
B) Template for BOCC Roles - 9/02/14
C) BOCC Goals and Role from
Commissioner Gordon - 9/02/14
D) Sample Tools Appendix
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cheryl Young, 245 -2307
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PURPOSE: To receive an update on the work of the Strategic Communications Work Group to
develop a proposed Strategic Communications Plan for Orange County.
BACKGROUND: At the January 31, 2014 Retreat, the Board discussed the need for an
Orange County Strategic Communications Plan. The Board requested that the Manager
provide a recommended strategy for a Strategic Communications Plan.
A Three Phase approach was recommended by the County Manager to move the process of
developing a Strategic Communications Plan toward a successful conclusion.
Three Phase Approach
Phase One
Identify and share with the Board individual department public information strategies.
outlining the dedicated resources, communications tools, target audiences and how the
department interacts with the Public Affairs Office.
Phase Two
Rod Visser was engaged to gather internal information by interviewing the Board and
County staff and present a summary to the Board.
Phase Three
Appoint a Strategic Communications Work Group who, with the assistance of Rod Visser, is
to draft a Strategic Communications Plan to be presented to the Board in the fall of 2014.
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Mr. Visser has convened and facilitated a series of meetings with the County's designated
Strategic Communications Work Group and will provide an update to the Board.
Several samples of work done so far by the Communications Work Group are provided as
attachments to this abstract. These are working papers that do not yet reflect specific
recommendations, but are illustrative of the group's approach and thought process to date.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with receiving the update.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the update and
provide feedback.
Attachment A
Strategic Communications Plan Outline- Version 1
DRAFT
I. General Purpose
A. Sub -goals
B. Brief Introduction or Background
II. Tools
A. Existing
B. Future
III. Message Types
A. Regular Information and News
a. Goals and Objectives
b. Messengers
i. BOCC
ii. County Departments
iii. County Manager
iv. Public Information Officer
c. Audiences
d.
e.
B. Non -E
a.
b.
i. Residents
1. English speaking
2. Non - english speaking
3. Other
ii. County Departments /Employees
iii. BOCC
iv. Municipalities and partnering agencies
Messages
Strategy /delivery
mergency Breaking News
Goals & Objectives
Messengers
i. BOCC
ii. County Departments
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M
IV. Evaluation
A. Measures of Success
B. Maintaining Flexibility
C. Public as a messenger
iii. County Manager
iv. Public Information Officer
c.
Audiences
i. Residents
1. English speaking
2. Non - english speaking
3. Other
ii. County Departments /Employees
iii. BOCC
iv. Municipalities and partnering agencies
d.
Messages
e.
Strategy /delivery
C. Emergency
Information
a.
Goals & Objectives
b.
Messengers
i. BOCC
ii. Emergency Services
iii. County Departments
iv. County Manager
v. Public Information Officer
c.
Audiences
i. Residents
1. English speaking
2. Non - english speaking
3. Other
ii. County Departments /Employees
iii. BOCC
iv. Municipalities and partnering agencies
d.
Messages
e.
Strategy /delivery
IV. Evaluation
A. Measures of Success
B. Maintaining Flexibility
C. Public as a messenger
Attachment B
Strategic Communications Plan DRAFT
General Purpose of the Orange County Strategic Communications Plan:
To establish a set of guidelines and best practices for organizing and executing communication efforts for Orange County Government.
Sub -goals or purposes of the plan:
• To get information out to the public (& other audiences) in a clear, transparent, helpful, timely, proactive and consistently professional manner
• To establish the role of the Board of County Commissioners
• To establish the role of departments /staff /county management
• To establish the role of the Public Affairs Office/ Public Information Officer
• To establish the way in which government entities receive, process and respond to the public
• To develop a protocol for crisis management and the handling of critical or sensitive issues
* Note: What we mean by Evaluation
Is it working/measuring results/ review process?
Maintaining flexibility/ adaptability?
Messenger: BOCC
Goal: To promote more effective communication between and among the BOCC and the residents (and other audiences) of Orange County, and simplify access to the Board and other government workings.
Objective 1: Enhance communications between the Board and audiences
Objective 2: Establish guidelines, policies and vehicles for accomplishing the Board's goals, including best practices for organizing and executing communication efforts
Objective 3: Enhance the ability of the Board and residents to access information
Audience
Message
Tools
Strategy/Delivery
Public
Ongoing information about
Utilize the widest possible
An objective unified voice
Public Information Officer or
important events and
variety of communications
representing the BOCC
member of Communications
milestones
methods/ vehicles (Appendix A)
Team
Public Meetings
Information about upcoming
agendas for meetings and
hearings
Methods for the public to access
information
Methods to promote 2 -way
communication between the
BOCC and public
Departments
Important information that
Through manager's office?
Through department heads
affects the departments
Relevant information about
policies and major issues facing
county government
Partnering Organizations
Media
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Attachment C
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
Submitted by Commissioner Alice Gordon - August 26, 2014 (PLAN)
and September 2, 2014 (BACKGROUND)
BACKGROUND
At today's Strategic Communications Plan meeting, the Communications Team
requested that the document I sent to the Team on August 26 be included in the agenda
materials for the BOCC September 11 work session. Therefore i volunteered to send it
again, in order to eliminate the changes in format that were introduced when I sent the
document by email. While I was at it, I also added the explanation below which sets
the document in context.
For the meeting of the Team on August 26, 2014, the group had asked me to fill in the
"BOCC as Messenger" communications template with which they were currently
working. This template was a work sheet which was to be completed
(1) by stating the goal and objectives for the BOCC, and
(2) by filling out a 7 x 3 matrix which had the following seven headings: Audience,
Message, Tools, Strategy /Delivery, Staffing (Roles), Timeline (Priorities), Evaluation.
The three audience categories were Residents, Departments, Employees. (The
audience categories were subsequently revised by the Team.)
ORANGE COUNTY STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN ( "Plan ")
NOTE: The format of this document will utilize the major categories of the
communications template, but the presentation will be from top to bottom,
instead of left to right.
I. OVERALL GOALS AND ROLE OF THE BOCC
A. Purpose
The purpose of the Board of County Commissioners' Strategic Communications Plan is
to promote more effective communication between and among the Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC) and the residents of Orange County. Public access to
government and freely shared information are cornerstones of the democratic process
and thus the plan should simplify access to the Board and to the workings of Orange
County government. The plan should also establish guidelines, policies and vehicles for
accomplishing the Board's goals for effective communication, including best practices
for organizing and executing communication efforts for Orange County government.
B. Principles and Goals
The Plan should include the following goals/ objectives:
Enhance communications between the Board and residents
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Enhance communications between Board members and the rest
of County government, including employees
Enhance the ability of the Board and residents to access information
Provide information to the public (and other audiences) clearly, concisely,
and in a timely, proactive, reliable, helpful, and consistently
professional manner
Utilize the widest possible variety of communications methods and
vehicles
As part of the Strategic Communications Plan, there should be developed an individual
plan for coordinating information during emergencies or crises, and a plan for handling
fast - breaking, complicated, or controversial issues
The Board should have a role in the development, approval, and oversight
of the Plan, including ongoing evaluation and a means for the Board to
contribute to the shaping of the County's message. There should be an emphasis
on promoting two -way communication between the Board and the public.
II. ROLE OF THE BOCC AS A MESSENGER
AUDIENCES AND MESSAGES
(Primary Target Audiences - Residents,
(Secondary Target Audiences - Media,
A. Audience - Residents
Departments, Employees)
Community Groups, Businesses, Visitors)
Message - Ongoing information about important events and milestones
(e.g. events and openings, achievements and awards, major
hirings)
Information about upcoming agendas for meetings and hearings
Methods for the public to access information
Methods to promote two -way communication between the Board and
the public (and other audiences)
Message - Information about emergencies or crises
Message - Information about fast - breaking, controversial, or complicated issues
Message - Expanded information about important issues, stories, or messages
(e.g. particularly successful programs or particularly important
and positive messages)
B. Audience - Departments
Message - Important information that affects the departments
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C. Audience - Employees
Message - Relevant information to make sure employees are knowledgeable
about Orange County policies and the major issues facing Orange
County government. Employees are ambassadors for the County and
can only do their job if they have the relevant information.
COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS - TBD
Guidelines - Utilize the widest possible variety of communications methods
and vehicles.
Tailor the communication tools to the target audience
List of Tools - TBD, but the list provided by David Hunt could be a starting point.
STRATEGY/ DELIVERY - TBD
Guidelines - Provide for three categories
Strategies for ongoing communications
Strategies for crises or emergencies
Strategies for fast - breaking, controversial or complicated issues
STAFFING (ROLES) - TBD
TIMELINE (PRIORITIES) - TBD
EVALUATION - TBD
`]
Attachment D
UPDATED 090314
ORANGE COUNTY STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
INVENTORY OF POTENTIAL TOOLS
• County Website
• County Newsletter (printed, e- mailed)
• Digital Message Monitors
• Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube)
• County Intranet
• County Connection E -Mail
• Citizen Comment (website link for citizen inquiry & complaint with BOCC /departmental follow
up)
• CodeRED Alert System
• Annual Report
• News Releases
• Public Forums /Speakers' Bureau
• Brochures, Guide Booklets, and Postcards
• News Releases
• Public Service Announcements
• Calendars/Events
• Public meetings
• Public events
• Classes
• Photography
• Purchased print ads (newspapers and magazines)
• Purchased Radio spots
• Purchased TV spots
• Listservs (allows users to add or remove automatically)
• Dedicated Orange County cable TV channel - Government Access Channel 1301
• Time Warner Cable
• AT &T, U -Verse .
• Video programming (currently outsourced)
• Video tools, hardware and software (cameras, tripods, lights, wireless sound/microphones,
video editing software, graphic generator, etc.)
• Video camera/tools check -out process for departmental staff
• Streaming video
• BOCC meetings
• County generated content, public service announcements (PSAs), service highlights,
weekly TV show, etc.
• Orange County Government radio station
• Designated employees available for crisis /emergency communications
• Guided tours
• County Government 101 sessions (Citizen Academy)
• Town Hall meetings
• County expo
• Active engagement with other communicators within Orange County (Town of Chapel Hill, Town
of Carrboro, Town of Hillsborough, UNC, OWASA, etc.)
• Branding — use of a county wide graphic or logo (indicating this is a service of Orange County
provided with your tax dollars)
o Creating graphics standards (including business cards and stationary)
• Coordinated communicators team of County PIO type staff
• Rich Site Summary (RSS)
• Blogs (County or posting to an independent site such as Orange Politics)
• Monitor Orange County sanctioned social media tools for content and currency
• Membership with regional and national communication organizations
• Employee newsletter
• Yard signs (like small campaign signs)
• Billboard
• Bum/duplicate CD/DVDs of Orange County content for public distribution
• Multimedia
• Newspapers
• Direct Mail
• Special Events
• Translation for any of the above
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