STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING: Critical Steps
and Techniques (G026)

Workshops > Government > Complete List > Strategic Communications Planning

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?

In a complex communications environment, communicators must not simply respond to pressures and events but respond coherently in ways that support and further their organization’s mission, goals, policies and programs. More and more communicators are required to be strategic, to take a wide view, to think holistically and long-term, and to focus on results achieved for resources expended. Understanding the process and techniques of strategic communications planning is an essential element in being an effective communicator.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

  • The elements and characteristics of strategic thinking
  • Strategic communications essentials
  • The steps of and technique for accomplishing the strategic communications planning process
  • Incorporating results-based communications into a strategy
  • Integrating the elements of the strategic communications plan
  • A practical approach to crisis communications planning

WHAT WILL YOU TAKE AWAY?

  • Workbook with checklists, how-to procedures/reminders and templates
  • Exercise hand-outs

Agenda Day 1

  

8:45 - 8:50 AM

Participant Introductions and Workshop Overview

8:50 - 10:00 AM

Communications, Change and Being Strategic
Communications and change; being strategic -- thinking strategically; strategic communications characteristics; the strategic communications planning process.

10:00 - 10:15 AM

Break

10:15 - 11:30 AM

Building the Strategy: Drivers; Situational Analysis; Results
Identifying the drivers; situational analysis - developing the information base; researching and analyzing the environment; identifying critical issues; defining communications challenges and opportunities; determining results and performance indicators; drafting the relevant sections of the plan.

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Case Study Exercise: Developing Elements of the Strategy
Participants working in groups will develop the first elements of a strategic plan based upon a scenario distributed to them and will report back on their results; instructor feedback and discussion.

12:30 - 1:30 PM

Lunch

1:30 - 3:00 PM

Building the Strategy - Strategic Approach; Target Audiences
The strategic approach - assessing and choosing among alternatives; segmenting and confirming target audiences; drafting the relevant sections of the plan.

3:00 - 3:15 PM

Break

3:15 - 4:15 PM

Case Study Exercise: Developing Elements of the Strategy
Participants working in groups will develop further elements of a strategic plan building upon the work from the morning session and will report back on their results.
4:15 - 4:30 PM Wrap-up

Agenda Day 2

  

8:45 - 10:00 AM

Building the Strategy: Positioning, Messaging and Branding; Distribution; Resources; Risk; Implementation
Positioning, branding and message engineering - differences and linkages; developing the distribution approach; assessing resource needs; analyzing and weighing the risk; implementation issues and the action plan.

10:00 - 10:15 AM

Break

10:15 - 11:15 AM

Monitoring and Evaluating a Strategy - Overview of Approaches
Role and definition of monitoring and evaluation; approaches and techniques.

11:15 - 12:15 PM

Case Study Exercise

12:15 - 1:15 PM

Lunch

1:15 - 2:45 PM

Crisis Communications Planning: A Practical Approach
What constitutes a crisis? How does it relate to strategic communications planning? Crisis triggers and audits; dealing with a crisis from the communications perspective; dealing with the media; creating a message action plan; the Internet and crises.

2:45 - 3:00 PM

Break

3:00 - 4:00 PM

Case Study Exercise: Crisis Communications Strategy and Action Plan.
Participants working in groups will develop a crisis communications strategy and action plan based upon a scenario distributed to them and will report back on their results. Instructor feedback and discussion.

4:00 - 4:15 PM Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation

Instructor

David Kardish

David Kardish, APR, is President of the CEC and has over twenty years of experience working in all aspects of communications in Canada and the United Kingdom.

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Stephen Goban

A CEC director, and principal of SBG & Associates, Mr. Goban has undertaken marketing and strategic communications for companies, associations and government departments.

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When, Where How much?

August 25-26, 2008

Suite 205, 223 Colonnade Road
South, Ottawa

$ 1350 (+ tax)

Register for a workshop

Online

By mail

The Centre for Excellence in Communications
Suite 214,
223 Colonnade Rd South
Ottawa, Ontario,
K2E 7K3

By email

registration@comcec.com

By telephone

(613) 233 2175

By fax

(613) 233 7617

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Testimonials

"A great balance between theory and practical exercises"

"I have a new understanding and appreciation for the complexity of this topic"

"The instructors did not just read the slides/materials, they spoke about the content with hands on examples"