WASHINGTON COUNTY STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION PLAN

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1 WASHINGTON COUNTY STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION PLAN May 16, 2017

2 P a g e 1 Introduction and Rationale This plan has been developed based upon understanding that residents and other stakeholder groups have a vested interest in Washington County and the public services we provide. In its 2017 strategic priorities planning session, the County Board identified the need for improved and increased communication both inside and outside the organization as critical to the success of Washington County. As a part of this, Provid[ing] responsive and accessible leadership and facilitate[ing] timely and effective communication was identified as a key component of a wellgoverned and administered County and needs to be improved and better coordinated in a much more strategic fashion. Specific focus ought to be given to communicating the County s Fiscal Health and related decision-making, as well as organizational performance, achievements and initiatives. We have identified four objectives designed to meet the communications priority. The desired outcomes of the County s communication strategy include awareness, credibility, engagement and loyalty. The beginning component in establishing the County s communication base is increasing awareness and understanding. As the foundation of the communication strategy, other objectives cannot be easily achieved until a basic awareness and understanding exists across stakeholder groups. Awareness and understanding, once established, builds credibility which allows for engagement and loyalty. Increase Awareness & Understanding Information about County results and goals will be made available to all of our stakeholders and common knowledge among key stakeholders will be established. Increase Credibility It is our intent to conduct the people s business transparently and in the open, making information available to all. Providing honest and responsive communications will help build trust and credibility with stakeholders, which is critical in maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the community. Increase Engagement We want to encourage and enable stakeholders to participate in public policy formation. Increase Loyalty Proper communication outlets should result in stakeholders that care about Washington County results. 1

3 P a g e 2 Communication Content This plan focuses on why and how County results will be communicated throughout the County. One of the areas that we focus on in implementing this framework is our ability to articulate the linkage between the County s results and the policies, programs and services being provided. As such, each policy, program and service can be communicated in such a way that highlights in connection to the broader vision of the County. The County mission, vision, values, results and goals are the focus of the communications strategy. A full list of 2017 County results and goals can be found in Appendix 1. Communication Focus As we communicate policies, programs and services, it is important for us to consider our focus in conjunction with our rationale. Policies, programs and services that are communicated to provide information should also build awareness. Once the foundation of awareness has been established, further communication should be aimed at increasing credibility, engagement and loyalty. Stakeholders Our audience may include anyone who lives or works within Washington County, visitors, neighboring communities or businesses considering relocating to Washington County. As this 2

4 P a g e 3 audience represents a large group of people with different interests, we have chosen to focus on specific stakeholder groups as follows: County Board Supervisors Citizens participating in government decision-making are fundamental to our system of governance. While it is true that our County Board Supervisors are elected to represent citizens, it is also true that they need to interact with the public on an ongoing basis if their representation is to be meaningful. Consistent, targeted communication with County Board Supervisors is necessary in order to ensure that the County results being communicated is comprehensive, accurate and representative of the citizens. County Board Supervisors can, in turn, increase the knowledge of Washington County residents about County results. County Employees Washington County employees play a unique role in effective communication. As representatives of the County, it is essential that our employees are fully informed on the County s results and goals. County employees serve as point contacts throughout the community; therefore, a well-informed employee will lead to a well-informed citizenry. Community Leaders As leaders, these individuals are often trusted and held in highest regard. Active communication with identified leaders about County results and goals will broaden the base of awareness and understanding throughout the County. These leaders are often capable of eliciting a great amount of public response and influence; therefore, should be valued and included in important policy discussions. Frequent dialogue with community leaders; including State and Federal Legislators, Municipal Elected Officials or other identified individuals, will have a positive impact on the residents that we serve. Washington County Residents The programs and services offered by Washington County have the greatest impact on the residents that we serve. General awareness of the County s results and goals will be available to every individual in Washington County through a variety of different streams, including the stakeholders mentioned above. Honest and responsive communication with the residents of Washington County will help build trust and credibility, increasing engagement in public policy formation and overall loyalty to the County as an organization. Communication Platforms Effective communication plays a primary role in the dissemination of the County s results and goals. As such, we have created a list of tools to be utilized. 3

5 P a g e 4 Internal Weekly Updates This includes correspondence in a newsletter format. Intranet/Payroll Stuffers/Fliers This includes providing additional information by utilizing the County s intranet and bulletin boards to distribute correspondence and messages. Town Hall Presentations These are face-toface discussions given biannually directly to all employees. Public Meeting and Department Head Presentations This includes providing meeting materials and facilitating meeting discussions and reporting on County results. Visual Reminders This included posters, mouse pads, screensavers, brochures and banners. Quarterly Breakfasts Employees are invited to attend a breakfast with the Administrator or leadership team to discuss County issues and concerns. Issue Specific Round Tables Similar to the quarterly breakfasts, these discussions allow employees that may have a vested interest in the mission, vision, value campaign to be educated and discuss these items. External State of the County Presentations Annual presentations to jurisdictions throughout the County. Community Group Presentations Annual presentations to community groups throughout the County, including Rotary, Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, Chambers, Economic Development groups and other community-oriented groups. 4 Personal Meetings Community leaders, members of the media or individual stakeholders may be invited to personal meetings as appropriate. Radio/Television This includes radio and television appearances with local media. Press Releases/Letters to the Editor/Columns This includes any traditional print media. Special Events This includes scheduled appearances of County leaders to raise awareness and understanding about County results. Examples may include coffee meetings, community events, or other community appearances. Online Website Our website is in need of a major renovation. A new and improved website will help us increase functionality, meeting the needs of changing technologies. Examples of increased functionality include, but are not limited to; alert centers, archive sections, bids, calendars, facilitating and standardizing of epayments, online forums, and social media integration. Podcasts/Pilot Communication Tools Because technology is constantly evolving, we recognize the importance in not limiting ourselves to standard online communication tools. As such, we will engage in pilot communication platforms as we deem appropriate for effective communication of Washington County results. Social Media While print is an expensive communication channel, social media serves as an inexpensive form of communication with an extremely fast growing audience. Because awareness is our base priority, we will begin by measuring the reach of our specific social media pages. This will be

6 P a g e 5 done by measuring the number of likes and followers on each of our main social media accounts (Appendix II), giving us an idea of whether the tactics employed have worked. The County s social media sites currently include: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Facebook Several employees have access to the County Facebook site, including individuals in Administration and the Human Resources Department. Twitter This is a great tool for the County because it allows for quick messages to be sent out. Currently, our best utilization 5 comes through brief in-meeting updates and general notifications, including traffic updates. Similar to Facebook, our best activity occurs when we tag other pages. In making sure we use this tool to the best of its capabilities, we have developed a list of tags based on subject manner (Appendix III). LinkedIn This site will be a great source for our Human Resources Department to share personnel related information, including the promotion of jobs within the County. Integrate County Results into Existing Plans To achieve success, the County needs to intentionally make connections between the broader County results and the living, breathing plan documents throughout the County that are influencing work plans and decision making. These plans include but are not limited to the following plans: Comprehensive Plan Strategic Plan Land and Water Resources Management Plan 5 Year Financial Plan Parks and Open Space Plan Capital Improvement Plan Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Annual Budget Highway Jurisdictional Plan Master Technology Plan Transportation Network Sustainability Plan Parks Fiscal Sustainability Plan Performance Management Strategy Media Relations Plan In order to fully leverage the communication of County results across the various platforms, the development of a media relations plan has been key. Because we interact with media in several different ways, we have focused on reactive and proactive approaches.

7 P a g e 6 Reactive Due to the nature of our business, we may be contacted at any time to comment on questions associated with our field of operation. As such, we must use these contacts as opportunities to promote Washington County and its mission, vision, values, results and goals. As experts of Washington County business, our leaders who are contacted have the opportunity to gain credibility for themselves and the organization as a whole. When we engage in best practice of responding to media requests in a timely manner, we are making it known that we can be a transparent, trusted source of information. Proactive Equally important to responding to requests is generating requests. As such, regular efforts will be made to be present in the area news sources. We have developed a list of contacts that we will continue to add to where we have identified local media contacts we feel will help aide in our message delivery. Next Steps Provide information and build awareness of County results and goals o Build social media platforms and measure success o Share a presentation which articulates the Fiscal Health of the County and the past, present, and future decisions (results) related to the same Develop and implement media relations plan Begin integration of County results into existing plans Investigate branding 6