7 steps for a communication plan

Presentation in the framework

of the Preaccession project on
EU Structure Funds
in Poland 2004
Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
Purpose of communication:

when a sender wants

to send a message
to a receiver
in order to alter the behaviour of the reciever

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
7 steps for making a communication plan

1. Strategic choices
2. Target groups
3. Communication messages
4. Communication instruments
5. Organization and planning of communication
6. Budget
7. Evaluation and impact assessment

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
General remarks:

1. Every situation has its own starting position

2. First determine the existing situation
3. Discuss a communication plan with all stakeholders
4. Make the impact measurable
5. Think on informing your collegue first

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
1. STRATEGY

1.1 Define your communication strategy

on the basis of your policy strategy (IROP)
Q: what is the main target you want to reach ?
Q: what are sub-targets you want to reach ?
Q: how should these targets be reached ?
Q: what communication instruments should be used ?
Q: what processes should be gone through ?

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
1.2 what can communication contribute ?
Q: what part of the project / results will be influenced or
realised ?
Q: enlarging know how on outcome of actions ?
Q: enhancement of awareness / support / engagement ?
Q: improvement of desired behavior ?
Q: is communication complementary or competive to other
instruments ( economic - legal) ?
* economic : positive or negative sanctions
* legal : legislation instead of communication

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
1.3 communication targets ?
Q: what are the short term communication targets ?
Q: when will the communication effort be succesfull ?
Q: what is the envisaged “return on investment” regarding
the communication effort ?
Q: what are the expected qualitative and quantitative results
(time frame / percentage target group / information level)?
1.4 in-sight in target groups ?
Q: what is the level of information ?
* zero base study on level of information / support
* available : research - enquieries - screening ?

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
1.5 communication strategy ?
Q: what is the communication strategy that should be
realised ?
Q: what is the added value of communication as a
management instrument ?
Q: what target groups have the biggest priority and in what
order should they be approached ?
Q: who is the messenger in the desired communication and
what is the “tone” of the message ?
(“ it´s the tone that makes the music ”)
Q: what are the expected problems ?

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
2. TARGET GROUPS
first: internal target groups
definition: internal target groups are part of the organisation
that is responsible for carrying out the project
then: external target groups
definition: external target groups are outside of the direct
influence of the project but feel the positive or
negative impact of the project.
Q: what is the envisaged effect (know how, attitude,
behaviour) of the communication with the internal and
external target groups ?

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
Type of target groups:
* depending target groups: persons or groups on whose
judgement or co-operation the project relies in order to
achieve its goals (decision takers, co-operating organisations
experts, the press etc.)
* policy target groups : groups on which the project is
directely targeted
* communication target groups: groups on which the
communication is targeted (policy target groups or related
groups relevant to achieve the desired goals)

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
3. COMMUNICATION MESSAGES.
Central message:
Q: what is the most important message you want to send ?
Q: mission statement: summary in < 20 words !!
Q: what are the interests and the requirements of the
receiver of the message ?
Q: what is the specific language / context of the receiver ?
Q: is the message giving a positive and appealing
perspective ?

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
Elements of communication messages:
* relevant facts
* positive and negative consequences
* the way negative consequences are dealt with
* a call for co-operation and support

Q: is the message recognised by the internal target groups ?

Q: is the message supported by the most important senders ?
Q: is the message specificaly targeted enough ?

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
existing means:
Q: what are the existing means of communication that can
be used for your purposes ?
(advantages: receivers recognises / safes cost & time)
who have been covered:
Q: what part of the target groups have been succesfully
covered ?
Q: outcome analysis actual distribution of information ?
(indicators to be defined !)
Q: research or estimation of the impact of the distributed
information / realised communication)

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
who have not been covered:
Q: what part of the target groups have not been succesfully
covered ?
Q: what should be altered in the communication to improve
the coverage of the information distribution ?

Ways of communication:
* written information
* personal information
* multimedia approach

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
4. COMMUNICATION MEANS

Many different ways of communication:

* written information
facts / quick / simple / targeted / actual
* personal information
difficult messages / interactive / targeted
* multimedia approach
broad / sensitive / large impact

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
communication matrix

target group 1 target group 2 targetgroup 3 target group 4 targetgroup 5

web site web site web site web site web site

X X
b rochure b rochure b rochure b rochure b rochure

X X
enquiery enquiery enquiery enquiery enquiery

X
manual manual manual manual manual

X
personal letter personal letter personal letter personal letter personal letter

X X

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
5. ORGANISATION AND PLANNING
Q: what is the role of communication in the project ?
Q: how are responsibilities and authorities divided ?
Q: who is responsible for the proces ?
Q: who is responsible for the end product ?
Q: who decides on the budget ?
Q: what are the human resources available ?
Q: who is participating from the outside ?
Q: what is the planning of the activities ?

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
6. BUDGET
necessary for:
* productions of communication means
* organisation of activities
* expert budget for advise, co-ordination and realisation of
communication policy and activities
specific elements:
* fixed and flexible budgets
* responsibilities for taking decisions on relevancy
* cost / benifit ratio
Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
7. EVALUATION AND
IMPACT ASSESSEMENT
Output indicators: numbers of communication products
Result indicators: general or specific view on the
communication products
Impact indicators: communication impact measurement in
actual behavior
Important:
* baseline study (o-base)
* defined targets / reference material

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan
BASIC PRINCIPLES:

COMMUNICATION IS A TWO WAY PROCESS

YOU NEVER COMMUNICATE ON YOUR OWN

COMMUNICATION IS ONLY SUCCESFULL IF THERE

IS A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOUR

Baten & Partners Management consultants: 7 steps for making a communication plan