Communication plan template user guide

Transcription

1 Communication plan template user guide This user guide is designed to help you fill out the communication plan template docdm The diagram below provides an overview of the template. Each box represents pages of an Excel spreadsheet. The numbered points within each box relate to points in the guide that follows. See pages 7 9 of this document for tips on some basic Excel data handling functions such as filtering. 1. Title page Prepared & maintained by Dates Title page Title and history of your communication plan. 2. Consultation Decision 3. Consultation & Notification Objectives 4. Background & Issues 5. Key messages Introduction Consultation 6. Target audience 7. Purpose 8. Methods Method Effects Introduction, giving the decision on consultation, objectives, background and key messages. Planning the 'who', 'how' and 'when' of consultation. There is a page for each type of consultation on effects and consultation on possible control methods. Notification 9. Target audience 10. Purpose 11. Methods Pre Op 24 hour Post Op Planning the 'who', 'how' and 'when' of notification. There is a page for each stage of notification: pre-operational, 24-hour and post-operational. 12. Consultation toolkit 13. Notification toolkit Toolkit The tools that you will need for consultation and notification.

2 Title page 1. Complete the Title page of the Communication Plan Template, including who is preparing and maintaining the plan and relevant dates. Communication planning is best done as a team workshop. Consider involving: The Operations Manager Key pests staff involved in the operation Staff with knowledge of community relations Technical advisor Pou Tairangahau Pests and community relations staff from another DOC office, where a similar operation has taken place Contractors, TBFree Programme Managers Introduction page 2. Decide what consultation is appropriate In the Consultation Decision section, explain the decision that has been made to not consult, consult on effects only, or consult on possible control methods. Include the name of the Operations Manager who made the decision and any staff involved in advising them. 3. Define your consultation and notification objectives Use the picklists for Consultation and Notification Objectives on the Introduction page, by deleting any of the options that don t apply to your operation and adding any additional objectives relevant to your operation. From your decision making in Preparing phase step 8 of the Operational Planning SOP docdm , your Consultation Objectives will be clear about whether you are consulting on: Possible control methods to employ (e.g. which pesticides, ground versus aerial) AND/OR Potential effects of pest control option(s) that have already been identified (e.g. boundaries, proposed performance standards) From your Notification Objectives, it will be clear whether or not a twenty-four hour notice is planned. Twenty-four hour notice may be required as a consent condition (e.g., public health permission or resource consent). 4. Describe background and issues around the operation For the Background section, briefly describe why the project is being undertaken and any key points from past work at this site that are relevant to the communication. You can cut and paste the background information between this section and relevant parts of the DOC Application Form. Issues may apply to most target audiences, or be limited to some individuals. The issues will help you to identify key messages for your communication. Issues can include positive opportunities, as well as anticipated problems.

3 You will match the issues to individual target audiences later in the plan. Taking the time now to do this well will save time in the long run. Use a bullet point list to make this easier. 5. Identify key messages List 5 10 Key Messages in this section of the Introduction page, to address the issues and communicate to most target audiences. Identify any aspects of the operation that are non-negotiable (e.g., we will be using aerial 1080 at the summit). Consultation pages 6. Identify all potential target audiences and match issues to each one Complete the first four columns of the relevant Consultation pages (light blue): Group (this will allow the plan to be sorted by landowner, recreation group, etc.) Name Contact details Issues (match issues from the Introduction to the individual target audience) The issues should flow out of consultation and not be pre-ordained before consultation commences, so your beginning list of issues should be factual and not pre-judged. You will probably need to update this list as consultation progresses. If you decided not to consult and therefore have no consultation objectives you can skip both Consultation pages. If you decided only to consult on effects you can skip the Consultation on Possible Methods page. Consider consulting with occupiers of land included in the buffer zones. Talk with your Pou Tairangahau about consulting with iwi. 7. Identify the purpose of consultation for each target audience Complete the Purpose of Consultation column of the relevant Consultation pages (Consultation on Possible Methods and/or Consultation on Effects, depending on the Operations Manager s decision). Type in the appropriate purpose(s) for each target audience, selecting from the picklist provided. When consulting on effects, some people in your target audience may also be landowners from whom you need consent. Ensure that gaining their consent is listed as a purpose of consultation. Once you have typed in a few entries, you can speed this up by either: Copying and pasting repeat entries; or Clicking your right-hand mouse button to select Pick from list this will bring up your previous entries to choose from

4 8. Plan how consultation will be done for each target audience Complete the next three columns of the Consultation page(s): How Who s responsible Target dates Remember if consent is being sought it is compulsory to visit or phone (refer to standards in Planning phase step 5 of the Operational Planning SOP docdm ) Speak to people with community relations skills for guidance on which consultation methods to use. Notification pages 9. Identify all potential target audiences and match issues to each one Check all consents for a list of people who are to be notified. Check the list of all compulsory target audiences in the standards of the Operational Planning SOP docdm (Pre-operational phase step 3, Operational phase step 3 and Reporting phase step 1) for those that apply to your operation. Complete the first four columns of Pre-Operational Notification page (this can be copied from the Consultation pages if completed): Group (This will allow the plan to be sorted by landowner, etc.) Name Contact details Issues (match issues from the Introduction to the individual target audience) Copy and paste only the first three columns to the Twenty-four hour notice (if applicable) and Post-operational update pages. You will probably need to update this list as consultation and notification progresses. 10. Identify the purpose of notification for each target audience Complete the Purpose of Notification columns of the Pre-operational notification, Twenty-four hour notice and Post-operational update pages. Type in the appropriate purpose(s) for each target audience, selecting from the picklist provided. 11. Plan how notification will be done for each target audience Complete the next three columns of the Notification pages: How Who s responsible Target dates Remember that a public notice is compulsory for all aerial applications of 1080 or pindone.

5 Remember visit or phone is compulsory for all target audiences identified for Twenty-four hour notice in the communication plan. Remember mailout, or fax is compulsory for all target audiences identified for Post-operational update in the communication plan Speak to people with community relations skills for guidance on which notification methods to use. Check your consents for target dates. Toolkit 12. Plan which communication tools will be needed for consultation Review your Consultation page(s) and the Key Messages from the Introduction page to identify which communication tools need to be accessed or created to help you with consultation. If planning a public meeting, staff with community relations and/or media skills should be involved in at least the planning stages. Wilson and Cannon (2005) (Community consultation processes for aerial 1080 applications Science for Conservation No 247) observe that meetings where respected community members or independent facilitators have chaired meetings are generally recognised as more successful. List the tools you will use in the Consultation section of the Toolkit page, as well as: Target dates for having the tools available Who s responsible for producing that tool Details (e.g., docdm reference or where to access it) 13. Plan which communication tools will be needed for notification Review your Notification pages and the Key Messages from the Introduction page to identify which communication tools need to be accessed or created to help you with notification. If using a media release, staff with community relations skills should be involved in planning and drafting it. Consider developing an advertising feature if there is concern over the content and presentation of how a media release may be published, or if there is a risk your media release may not be used. List the tools you will use in the Consultation section of the Toolbox page, and: Target dates Who s responsible Details (e.g., docdm reference)

6 Tidy up plan for printing Prepare plan for distribution by deleting unnecessary sections. Delete all the rows shaded yellow in the template these contain instructions that readers of your plan will not need. If you are not doing any consultation, delete from the Communication Plan Template: The Consultation Objectives in the Introduction page Both of the Consultation pages (light blue tabs) The Consultation section of the Toolkit page If you are not consulting on possible control methods, delete the Consultation on possible methods page (light blue tab). If you are not planning a twenty-four hour notice, delete the Twenty-four hour notice page (orange tab). Your plan is ready to print or to others.

7 Excel tips for using the template Using Auto filter to sort: To make this function work well you must use a consistent format for names, dates etc for the sorting to occur. You must also ensure the each row can stand alone from any other related row as when a sort function is applied the rows will change order. Rows that have not had all their columns completed may be unintentionally hidden from view. Click on the triangle in the bottom right corner of the cell that is the column header. This will create a dropdown list of contents for that column. Click the check boxes to tick/untick the entries in that column, then click OK. The spreadsheet will then only display the rows it has for your selection. The other information will still be on the spreadsheet, but is hidden from view. The header cell of the sorted column then displays a funnel shape next to the triangle. To display the hidden rows or change the sort criteria repeat the same process. The first option in the drop down list is select all. Sort by: Groups e.g. adjoining landowners. Allows them to being them together and print a list How Allows you to view a list of all your mailouts for example Who s responsible list of jobs that each person is responsible for Dates at any given point you can see what you should have done

8 Using pick lists to enter data If you right click on an empty cell and select the pick from drop-down list option, you will get a list of all entries in that column. Click on the entry to auto fill it into the empty cell. If there is already text in the cell, it will be replaced. This is quicker than using the copy and paste functions. Using the mail merge function You mail merge from an Excel file into a Word document if you save the Excel file outside of the document manager system (e.g. to your network drive). When going through the mail merge process in Word to create your letter, you can access this existing list selecting browse, tools and open from file system.

9 Hiding planning columns If you click on the minus symbol at the top of the spreadsheet it will hide all the planning columns to give you a record of your consultation suitable for inclusion in your consent application The other information will still be on the spreadsheet, but is hidden. To view it click on the plus symbol at the top of the spreadsheet.