School District Communications Assessment and Planning

Communications Assessment and Planning

Joe Donovan

Communications Planning

Please direct questions to…

[email protected]

414-418-0512


We’ll start by briefly discussing…

Marketing, public relations, and communications… What is the

difference?


What we’ll cover today….

Step 1: Determining your goals



Step 2: Defining stakeholders



Step 3: Assessing situations, uncovering deficits



Step 4: Creating messages



Step 5: Using the right tools



Step 6: Using the calendar



Step 7: Laying out the plan



Step 8: Establishing metrics to determine success


Communications, public relations, or marketing?

Forget titles, think tools.


Determine your communications goals.

Define success. Be specific.

Get buy-in.


Who are your stakeholders?

If you communicate with everyone, you communicate with no one.


Understand your current situation; uncover deficits

Get out of the communications bubble.


Create messages

What do you want your stakeholders to know and

understand about your district?


What tools can you use to take your messages to your

stakeholders?


How can you use the calendar to your advantage?


Lay out the plan

Have a formal written plan. Use an online tool to track progress.


Establish metrics to determine success.


Tip 1: Don’t have too many stakeholder groups.


Tip 2: Communications plans should be updated on a rolling

basis.


Tip 3: Conduct an audit every three or four years.


Tip 4: More communication is not always better communication.


Tip 5: Follow industry leaders.


Tip 6: Reinforce the plan and continue seeking buy-in for it.


Tip 7: Find your voice through the plan.


Tip 8: Seek to increase internal communications capacity.


Tip 9: What works in one district may not work in another.

Communications Assessment and Planning

Joe Donovan

Education