OE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

Transcription

1 OE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN [Project Name] Communications Plan [Date] 1

2 PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS AT UC BERKELEY A key component of successful project management at UC Berkeley is clear, concise communications. Successful communications depends on a detailed communication plan. Just as no two implementation project are the same, no two communications plans follow the same playbook. However, there are many tools, techniques, and channels that make communicating more effective at UC Berkeley and all project teams should consider these when developing their plans. The following pages offer a template for developing a communication plan for a project implementation plan at UC Berkeley. If you choose, you can use a communication plan template with which you prefer or are familiar. Regardless of which plan you use, the plan should contain the following elements: Key audience descriptions Description of what information each audience needs A description of what communication tools you will use to reach each audience Who will be responsible for developing and delivering each message The timing and/or frequency of messages. Whether you use the following template or your own, your completed plan should be reviewed with the Operational Excellence Communication Manager. If you prefer, you can arrange a time to sit-down with the OE Program Office and develop the plan together. This document also includes links to an online resource called, Communicating at Berkeley. This site offers useful links and resources on how to craft and distribute messages on the UC Berkeley campus. COMMUNICATING AT BERKELEY WEB SITE The campus maintains a resourceful website called Communicating at Berkeley which contains tips, techniques and resources to help you craft and deliver messages at UC Berkeley. You will find the web site at Once you are on this site you will find four helpful sections: COMMUNICATION CHANNELS A partial list of the various communication channels on the UC Berkeley campus, with information about when to use each and details on reaching the unit that manages each channel. Your will find information on broadcast s and listservs, campus administrative memos, print publications, online newsletters, web sites, in-person communication opportunities, campus mail, flyers and posters, and more. COMMUNICATION TIPS This toolkit includes guidelines for writing clearly for both and the web. PLANNING FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS This section helps you determine why you are communicating, what your objectives are, and how you will know your communications are effective. 2

3 COMMUNICATION RESOURCES AT UC BERKELEY You ll find a variety of resources including the campus style and design guides, guidelines for using the CalMessages system, copyright guidance, media relations workshops, and more. DEVELOPING MESSAGING FOR YOUR PROJECT Operational Excellence is a large, complex project. In its entirety, it will take several years, the energies of hundreds of people and tens of millions of dollars to bring about the hoped-for changes to UC Berkeley. Individual projects in OE can gain synergy with the overall project communications if they use a consistent project voice that is personal, authentic, strategic, and confident. It is not necessary or appropriate for all messages to include all four of these attributes, but they will serve as a guide for developing an overall voice for your project. PERSONAL Although OE will bring about changes in tangible factors (process, systems, software, hardware, training, and techniques), ultimately, OE is about making people more productive and successful. OE will be more accessible if it can tell its many stories through people rather than projects. AUTHENTIC Your project should neither ignore the difficult challenges ahead nor oversell the benefits of the proposed changes. OE will gain credibility by giving a fair assessment of the challenges and expected outcome of each underlying change project. STRATEGIC Proactively designing change allows UC Berkeley to strategically prepare for its financial and operational future, rather than let declining financial circumstances limit future options. Your communications should reiterate how your project supports the goals of Operational Excellence. CONFIDENT In order to overcome the inertia of the status quo, OE needs to convey confidence that it is bringing necessary and positive changes to the University. There are a cacophony of voices questioning OE s motives and methods. Your project needs to convey optimism that it will succeed in helping Berkeley position itself for the future. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Your project communications will be successful if your messages convey the enthusiasm of faculty, students, and staff for the positive changes that your project will bring to their personal and professional endeavors at UC Berkeley. ARCHIVING YOUR MESSAGES Implementation teams will find it useful to keep a log of all messages that can be used in the future. Whenever you use a message that resonates with the intended audience, be sure to add it to the log so you can draw upon it in the future instead of continually drafting new content for each new communication project. PROJECT NAME The first step in developing your communications plan, is to determine the working name of your implementation project. This may seem obvious, as many projects have had working names throughout the OE design phase. Before your implementation, however, consider if the working name will suffice for successful implementation. The considerations for a successful name are whether your project will primarily introduce a back-office or front-office solution. 3

4 BACK-OFFICE projects are best served by Descriptive Names. With the number of change projects proceeding on campus, it will be useful for these projects to identify the primary work area or project. Examples of descriptive names include: ENTERPRISE DATA WAREHOUSE GOVERNANCE; IT- APPLICATION LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT FRONT- OFFICE projects will be deployed across campus and their success will depend on broad-based acceptance and adoption. These projects are best served by an Illustrative or Whimsical name. Examples include: BEARBUY for the new campus procurement system; and CAL PLANNING for the Controller s office Hyperion Budget Planning Tool. IS YOUR PROJECT: [ ] BACK- OFFICE (IMPLEMENTATION REQUIRES WORKING WITH A SPECIFIC AUDIENCE) [ ] FRONT- OFFICE ( IMPLEMENTATION REQUIRES CROSS CAMPUS ADOPTION AND/ OR TRAINING) NAME OF PROJECT: PROJECT DESCRIPTION - Most project team members are so close to a project that they have difficulty describing their project in simple terms. It is important to be able to describe your project in three-to-four sentences that will convey the opportunity and the benefit. Your project description should include the: Name of your project The problem it is trying to solve The benefit of solving the problem (save money, save time, more effective, etc.) The specific audience whose lives will improve because of it How their professional or personal endeavors will improve The hoped-for benefit to UC Berkeley if the project is successful. A useful format for an effective job description will read: (Name of Project) will enable UC Berkeley to (benefit) by (problem it will solve). When successfully completed, (audience) will become more effective by (anticipated improvement). 4

5 YOUR PROJECT DESCRIPTION: AUDIENCES Below is a list of campus groups that you will want to consider when developing your communication plan. Check all audiences with which you will want to communicate and consider whether they will need a general message or a specific message targeted for their group. SPECIFIC GROUPS (DESCRIBE) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] YOUR PROJECT TEAM [ ] Project Manager [ ] Project Sponsors [ ] Project Team [ ] Other [ ] OE LEADERSHIP [ ] OE Program Office [ ] OE Executive Committee [ ] OE Coordinating Committee [ ] CAMPUS LEADERSHIP [ ] Chancellor s Cabinet [ ] Council of Deans [ ] FACULTY [ ] Council of Deans [ ] Academic Senate [ ] DIVCO [ ] Department Chairs [ ] STAFF [ ] Vice Chancellors [ ] Unit Leaders [ ] Campus Advisory Groups [ ] CAO s [ ] CSAC [ ] ABOG [ ] Staff Organizations [ ] Department Staff Meetings [ ] STUDENTS [ ] ASUC Leadership [ ] GA Leadership [ ] Undergraduates [ ] Graduate Professional [ ] Graduate Academic OFF CAMPUS- STAKEHOLDERS [ ] UCOP [ ] Regents [ ] Donors [ ] CEAC [ ] UCB Foundation [ ] State Legislators [ ] Vendors [ ] Other UC Campuses [ ] Local City Councils [ ] Local Chambers of Commerce [ ] Parents [ ] Cal neighbors [ ] UC Berkeley Alumni [ ] General public 5

6 COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA Below please find a list of the communication tools most frequently and effectively used at UC Berkeley. The OE Program Office can help you determine the most effective communication channels to reach various audiences you selected on the previous page. Some audiences may require multiple communication channels to effectively reach. Check all tools which you are interested in using for your project communication. EXECUTIVE MESSAGING [ ] Campus Leadership [ ] OE Leadership [ ] Project Leadership [ ] OE Updates list [ ] CalMessages broadcast [ ] Cal Message Subscription Lists [ ] Campus lists ELECTRONIC [ ] Project web site [ ] Project blog [ ] Videos [ ] PowerPoint [ ] Virtual Chat Rooms [ ] Newsletter [ ] YouTube [ ] Facebook [ ] Twitter EDUCATIONAL TOOLS [ ] Infographics [ ] Training manuals [ ] Information kits PUBLICATIONS- EDITORIAL AND/ OR ADVERTISING [ ] The Berkeleyan [ ] The Graduate [ ] California magazine (alumni) [ ] Daily California ENGAGEMENT AND DATA GATHERING [ ] Surveys [ ] OpinionSpace [ ] User polls [ ] Customer satisfaction surveys [ ] Anonymous inbox FACE- TO- FACE OUTREACH [ ] Professional campus groups [ ] Special Interest Staff Groups[ ] One off requests PRINT [ ] Newsletter [ ] Fact Sheets [ ] Postcards [ ] Campus Posters EVENTS [ ] Project Launch Event [ ] Town Hall Meetings [ ] Project Road Show [] Project Wrap Party 6

7 COMMUNICATION MATRICES The following pages contain matrices for you to assemble target audiences, messages, and delivery channels. Small projects may be able to get their entire communication matrix onto one table. Larger projects will want to utilize different tables to help organize their messages. COMMUNICATION PLAN: EXAMPLE NAME THE GROUPS HERE. ADD ADDITIONAL RESOURCES HERE What information do they need from you for the project to succeed? Fill in the umbrella message theme for this group. All future messages developed for this group should tie to this one overall theme. Describe which tools you will use to reach this audience. You can name all tools here or use separate lines for major initiatives. Describe the month or the frequency of the communication. List the name or initials of who will craft and deliver the message. COMMUNICATION PLAN: YOUR PROJECT TEAM SPONSORS PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT TEAM 7

8 COMMUNICATION PLAN: SPECIFIC AUDIENCES FOR YOUR PROJECT COMMUNICATION PLAN: OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE LEADERSHIP OE PROGRAM OFFICE OE COORDINATING COMMITTEE OE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OE PROJECT MANAGER OE FINANCE OE COMMUNICATIONS 8

9 COMMUNICATION PLAN: CAMPUS LEADERSHIP CHANCELLOR S CABINET COUNCIL OF DEANS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN: STAFF 9

10 COMMUNITY PLAN: FACULTY COMMUNICATION PLAN: STUDENTS 10

11 COMMUNICATION PLAN: OFF- CAMPUS 11