ABC Ltd. wants to communicate about its corporate image to all its stakeholders and also to the general public. As an advisor, how do you recommend them to do it?

Our communications and engagement strategy needs to be simple because we are working in a complex environment – otherwise our actions become confusing to the people we work with. The strategy therefore highlights just 20 key steps we will take to communicate and engage with people effectively. It also explains our simplified
approach to outreach work, including events and festivals.
Recommendation that: you agree the strategy and its associated annexes.

2 BACKGROUND
2.1 We have significantly improved the way we communicate and engage with people over the last few years. This has been recognised through anecdotal evidence and the recent Customer Service Excellence award. However, we need a strategy to coordinate our activities and guide future business planning. We also need to be able to measure our success more effectively. ‗ABC – our communications and engagement strategy‘ (Annex 1) aims to do this.

3 POLICY CONTEXT
3.1 The adoption of a Communications and Engagement Strategy is action 3.2 in the Business Plan July 2006-March 2009 (revised October 2007).
3.2 The strategy supports the delivery of our Business Plan in its entirety. The messages within it explain that we must be excellent communicators, promoting learning and inspiring people about the National Park in all that we do.

4 OPTIONS
4.1 Option 1: You agree the recommendation
Option 2: You agree the recommendation with further development of some steps
Option 3: You do not agree the recommendation

5 PROPOSALS
5.1 The Communications and Engagement Task and Finish Group was established to develop this strategy. It includes staff from the Communications and Learning Team and members. They undertook a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats) and agreed the simple approach recommended. They
commented on the 20 key steps ensuring that they were strategic and not too
detailed. Option 1 is recommended for approval and it is hoped that members will be involved in the delivery and review of the strategy as it progresses.

6 BEST VALUE IMPLICATIONS
6.1 The statutory duty of best value requires organisations to consult service users and other stakeholders about services and priorities. The duty was revised in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill in May 2007 to engage more with hard-to-reach groups and to secure participation of communities in delivery of local public services. This strategy supports the delivery of this function by focusing on engagement with partners and local people, particularly through two of our four key
Lake District National Park Authority Agenda Item: 9
Authority: 22 May 2008
requirements for effective communications – listening and interpreting demands;
unraveling complex issues.

7 FINANCE CONSIDERATIONS
7.1 There are financial implications in the delivery of the strategy. You have already agreed revenue growth bids (totalling £45,000) to support step 9 in the strategy and development of Level One events and festivals which we sponsor (Annex B). You have also agreed existing budgets to support ongoing work led by the Communications and Learning Team. Agreement of any additional budgetary
requirements to deliver all steps in the strategy will form part of the corporate planning and performance cycle.

8 RISK
8.1 Each step in the strategy has a different degree of risk which will be managed through respective service plans. Overall, if we do not develop our communications and engagement activities, there is a significant risk that we lose our Customer Service Excellence standard.

9 LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
9.1 Effective communication is key to performance of our statutory objectives. The
proposed strategy will assist with good governance by improving communication
within the Authority and will help clarify relationships with partners.

10 HUMAN RESOURCES
10.1 The Communications and Learning Team, including its Outreach Unit, are part of the established structure and will take a clear coordinating role in delivering the strategy.
The strategy also makes it clear that new approaches to communications and
engagement should be a part of existing roles across the organisation. This will be
dealt with through Service Planning and Personal Development Reviews.

11 DIVERSITY IMPLICATIONS
11.1 This strategy is of high importance to diversity. In the past, our approach to targeting groups may have had an adverse impact on particular groups already using our services. The strategy explains that we will now base our actions on the needs of different groups and clear evidence. Annex A (‗Reaching Out‘) explains how we will not target people, but work with focus groups to identify needs over time. We want toreach out to everyone and use the National Park to build links between different cultures.

12 SUSTAINABILITY
12.1 The strategy will contribute to the promotion of learning and inspiring people about all aspects of sustainability which is at the heart of the Vision for the National Park.
Author/Post Bob Sutcliffe, Head of Plans and Communications Date Written 2 May 2008