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Training PresentationCommunication skills for Chairmen and Councils

+My Story - Jennie Thomas

CiLCA-qualified Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer at Stone Parish Council, Kent

Quality Council Status since 2009

4,700 households, approx. 10,000 population

Precept 2013-13 £223,040; Budget £364,400; Communications budget £7,500 (2%)

+Introductions

Who are you?

Which Town/Parish do you represent?

How many years have you been a councillor?

What is your experience of communications as a councillor?

What do you hope to get out of this workshop?

+Agenda

Discussion: Barriers to communication (10 mins)

Presentation: The basis for effective communications (30 mins)

Activity: Planning a communications activity (30 mins)

Q&A session (10 mins)

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DISCUSSION What are the barriers preventing effective

communications?

+What do we mean by communication?

Communication is the process of transmitting ideas and information. For a local council, that means conveying the value and the benefits of your organization, the issues it deals with, and its accomplishments to the community.

Surveys have shown that the majority of people get most of their information about their council through the media, particularly the local press and residents are most positive about their council in areas where the council has a good relationship with the local press.

Communication should be an on-going activity for any organization that serves, depends upon, or is in any way connected with the community. 

+What is a Communications Plan?

Planning is a way to organize the actions that will lead to the fulfilment of a goal. Your goal in this case is to maintain on-going awareness about your council’s long-term benefits to your community.

Your plan will determine:

WHY? WHO? WHAT?

HOW?

+Why do you need a Communications Plan?

“A goal without a plan is just a wish”Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail!”Benjamin Franklin

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up some place else”Yogi Berra

+When should you develop your Plan?

As your organization begins planning objectives and activities, you should also begin planning ways to communicate them; successful communication is an on-going process, not a one-time event.

As part of the annual budget-setting process, local councils should determine the community, operational and service objectives for the forthcoming financial period, conclude the preferred way of communicating the necessary messages for each agreed strategic element, and then ensure an appropriate communications budget is allocated to enable the communications plan to be put into action.

+How do you develop a Communications Plan?

+1. Identify your PurposeWhat you might want to say depends on what you’re trying to accomplish with your communication strategy.  You might be concerned with one or a combination of the following:

+2. Who are you trying to reach?

TARGET

GROUPS

DEMOGRAPHIC

GEOGRAPHIC

NEEDBEHAVIOUR

ATTITUDES

+3. Determine the Message

Formulating a good message is vital for the success of any communication. The message reflects what you want target groups to know, feel or do, and reflects why they should know, feel or do it.

What goes into a message?

A message is a translation of the communication objective for that target group.

The message uses words that are easy to understand by the target group.

The message is in the language of that group.

+4. Which methods to use?

The choice of means to communicate the message depends on the communication targets, the characteristics of the target group, the message, the budget and your experience with the means.

Interpersonal means make direct contact between the communicating parties and take many forms.

+Methods of Communication

Verbal: Word of mouth, face-to-face, networking, presentations & briefings

Media Relations:

News stories in print or broadcast media, press releases and press briefings

Online: Website; email, social media

Offline: Newsletters, posters, brochures, and fliers, letters

Events: Launches, fairs, focus groups, and consultations

Visual: Branding, design, images, fonts

+5. Resources

What do you have the money to do?  Do you have the people to make it possible?  If you’re going to spend money, what are the chances that the results will be worth the expense? Who will lose what, and who will gain what by your use of financial and human resources?

Your plan should include careful determinations of how much you can spend and how much staff or councillor time it’s reasonable to use. 

+What does it cost? How to budget for communication?

Communications costs

Personnel (employee time/external support) £?

Materials (design and production) £?

Distribution (delivery/postage) £?

Media space (advertising/airtime) £?

Organisational (copying, office supplies, telephone calls)

£?

Total £?

Most local councils have limited budgets. Deciding how to spend them for the best effect is an important strategic decision. Maintaining your relations with the public is vital. Factoring in a budget for communication helps assure you are not set up to fail.

+6. Contingency Procedure

Make sure appropriate council policy or procedures are in place so that everyone is clear about their roles and responsibilities in such circumstances.

+7. Strategic Relationships

+8. Evaluation

+Social Media Savvy

+ Activity

Putting it into Play…

+How can Chairmen support council communications?

+How can Chairmen support council communications? Ensure clarity and understanding of the difference between corporate

communications and that of individual councillors or Chairmen

But, ensure all members reinforce council corporate messages through individual expression

Ensure a sufficient communications budget is included in the annual budget and encourage members to appreciate the need and benefit for this

Follow council communications procedures if crisis or contingency is required

Consider key communication messages during agenda item discussion

Give media quotes that are consistent with the council’s position on a particular subject

Foster good relations with relevant stakeholders who can help transmit your message

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Your Action PlanNext steps to more effective communication…

ACTION PLAN:

Identify two personal communications objectives that you will begin work on immediately:

1.

2.

Identify two council communications objectives that you will submit for consideration as part of imminent budget discussions

1.

2.

Identify one area of communications on which you will seek further training:

1.

+More Information

Useful Publications:

‘Getting your message across’ – A communications toolkit for local councils (NALC/CRC accessible at www.nalc.gov.uk)

‘Connected Councillors’ – A guide to using social media to support local leadership) I&DEA

Useful links:

www.tweetyhall.co.uk - A comprehensive list of local councillors using Twitter

www.kindofdigital.com/useful-stuff/quick-guides/ - One page guides to using social media