Prepared for Council – September 1, 2015 · enforcement, property taxes and assessment inquiries, road maintenance and construction, garbage and recycling removal, parks and recreation,

TownshipofSouth‐WestOxfordCommunicationPlan

Prepared for Council – September 1, 2015

SWOX2015CommunicationsPlan Page2

Executive Summary

The Township of South‐West Oxford is committed to being a leader in the development and delivery of

municipal services for the growth and well being of our community and is continuously striving to

improve effective communications internally and facilitate good public relations practices.

On top of providing services such as animal control, drainage maters, building permits, by‐law

enforcement, property taxes and assessment inquiries, road maintenance and construction, garbage

and recycling removal, parks and recreation, emergency services, council administration, maintaining

municipal facilities, and administrative services, the Township also strives to clearly communicate with

the residents and visitors benefitting and contributing to the provision of these services.

Through visible engagement with the community while providing different municipal services, staff and

council members of the Township have constant, daily contact with ratepayers.

The Quality Policy of the municipality states that: “We will meet legislative and regulatory standards

through responsible procurement, timely support consistent delivery and service management. We will

maintain quality and propose ways to continually improve through positive sharing of ideas and

expertise.” Strategic communication with all stakeholders is critical in helping the municipality to meet

its goals and fulfill its mandate to adhere to the principles of communication, teamwork, accountability,

and a hands on approach.

In particular, we need to understand the value of the communications function as it relates to the

Township’s ongoing prosperity. Alongside changing communications technologies, stakeholder

expectations are rapidly rising. Staff recognizes that they need to be able to communicate with clients

and customers using the latest technology resources, but also respect the need for traditional

communication mediums to reach residents across all demographics.

Committed to providing timely responses, various Township departments need a strong communication

infrastructure to support their work done with the public and create opportunities to continue to

improve the relationship between staff and the general public.

Working with the public, staff and leaders in the Township recognize the need to commit themselves to

implementing the Township’s plan, and staff is committed to reviewing its effectiveness on an ongoing

basis. The following pages provide insight into the communication issues facing the Township, and will

provide a framework for improving municipal communications over the next three years.

Why Communication Matters

Since Township staff and elected members of council have with frequent contact with the public and

high exposure to residents, each individual has an obligation to communicate with ratepayers and other

levels of government with a high degree of professionalism. To facilitate high quality service delivery,

the departments must also be effective in communicating within the team and across other municipal

departments and beyond.


Good governance requires an ongoing, symmetrical exchange of ideas. Information must flow not only

from the municipality to stakeholders, but from stakeholders to the municipality.

Government bodies typically need to communicate with clients and residents for the following reasons:

To inform Demonstrates accountability. Lets stakeholders know what the municipality is doing on their behalf/for them/to them and how they can assist (i.e. provide input, feedback, volunteer, vote).

To build understanding or change behavior

Encourage stakeholders to think, act, or feel a certain way. Encourage engagement and loyalty.

To prevent misunderstandings

Provide opportunities for interactive discussion and dialogue. Assist in change management.

To present a point of view Foster understanding by explaining a position/policy/plan. Link to strategic objectives.

To lower barriers between groups and individuals

Build trust. Address prejudices, suspicion etc.

A Communication Plan for the Township of South‐West Oxford must consider both internal and external

stakeholders. Examples of these stakeholders are identified below:

Internal Stakeholders Key Communication Needs

Council Require a mechanism to hear from constituents and respond in a timely manner; need to be kept aware of key initiatives;

Management Two‐way communication with CAO, Supervisors, and staff

Employees Organizational and departmental information exchange; respond to stakeholder inquiries

External Stakeholders Key Communication Needs

Residents Provide accountability for council; tax inquiries; by‐law enforcement complaints; building inspection requests; planning interests

Businesses Information exchange on business‐related issues

Property Owners Development and planning services; property standards;

Organizations and Community Groups

Dialogue on Township initiatives that impact these groups

Media Clarification on Council activities, and processes/initiatives

Developers/Investors Availability of lands; infrastructure; zoning and planning issues

Community Facility Users/Committees

Discover other opportunities for involvement/visits; pricing/operating hours of facilities


Part One: Where We Are

Situation Analysis

The Township of South‐West Oxford has historically taken an ad hoc approach to its communications.

Municipal communications using traditional media are generally handled in house using the expertise of

staff and resources available. The Township of South‐West Oxford does not typically issue formal press

releases and does not frequently place advertisements in local newspapers, unless to advertise for open

tenders or announcements impacting service or access to infrastructure. Coverage in the local media is

limited to small announcements and brief summaries of council meetings.

Emergence into social media has been slow at this point with only a few different fire stations and

community groups managing their own sites. With the assistance from Oxford County IT, the Township

website is managed by staff in the municipal office. With easy access to update the Township website,

staff can quickly post updates on the site and have the ability to develop department pages as

requested. The design of the site makes additions and editing easy for staff and the framework for each

department means that updating information is straightforward. A shared and simple community

calendar of upcoming events is used by community groups, local boards, and committees fairly

effectively.

With changing technologies, the communication landscape has become decentralized. Through

websites, blogs, emails and social media, information can be disseminated and it is important for the

Township to be able to maximize its ability to inform, to build understanding or change behavior, to

prevent misunderstandings, to present a point of view, and to lower barriers between groups and

individuals.

The ultimate aim of any municipal communications initiative—whether proactive or reactive‐‐ is to build

trust with the public, and retain economic investment through effective service delivery and reputation

management.

At minimum, South‐West Oxford’s communication plan must take into account how quickly

information—and mis‐information—travels in today’s technology‐driven world.


Current Communications Initiatives

The following chart summarizes the communication vehicles currently used by the Township of South‐

West Oxford:

EXTERNAL INITIATIVES:

PRINT

Newspaper advertisements Advertisements placed in the Ingersoll Times, Tillsonburg News, and Oxford Review.

Content is contributed approximately every few months on ad hoc basis (tender of crop land, new load limit on bridge, hiring announcements etc)

Departmental letters Issued as needed to address building compliance issues, by‐law enforcement issues, building inspection reminders, animal tag reminders, planning application updates, policy clarification etc.

Letters put on a standard letterhead but do not contain a similar formatting style now. Generally drafted by each department individually, the letters may lack consistency in messaging or format.

Departmental E‐mails Issued as needed in response to information requests

Handled by individual users; Township does not currently use a similar signature format.

Township Newsletter Issued twice a year to all households in the municipality and drafted and printed in house

Currently these newsletters are only issued twice per year and span the entire municipality’s topics (do not have a theme)

Village Voice Newsletter An external Township wide newsletter produced monthly

The Township places small articles in the publication sporadically for a fee; community groups can use the newsletter for free

Forms & Brochures Different departments have various pamphlets, forms and brochures

These forms and brochures do not have a consistent format or style since they are produced by individual departments. These are also printed in house.

WEBSITES

www.swox.org General Township information including

Maintained by Clerk with assistance from County of


Council agendas, policies, procedures, payment services

Oxford IT

SOCIAL MEDIA

Emergence into social media has been slow at this point with only a few different fire stations and community groups managing their own sites.

PERSON‐TO‐PERSON

Contact at Municipal Office Daily, constant in person contact as stakeholders come into Municipal Office for various reasons.

Initial point of contact is the Administrative Assistant for the Finance Department, the Building Department Assistant, and the Revenue Officer

On Site Inspections, Meetings, Daily Interactions, By‐Law Enforcement Interaction

Building officials visiting sites as requested to inspect permit projects; Works Department staff on site to perform construction work; Recycling collectors meeting homeowners, etc.

Meetings are with different members of the public and are ongoing

Telephone interaction Calls come into Township for all different departments and are filtered through front office staff

First point of contact is the Administrative Assistant for the Finance Department

Committee Meetings Various committees involve staff (various parks and hall boards) and council members. Committee members also engage with the community through events and management of municipal facilities

All staff may have contact with committee members.

INTERNAL INITIAVES:

PERSON‐TO‐PERSON

Office Staff Meetings Staff meet every Monday following a council meeting at 9:00 am

All office staff and managers meet to discuss the happenings from council meetings and update on all new initiatives and happenings in the Township. Meetings are brief and last approximately 15 minutes.

Management Meetings Managers meet every Wednesday following council meetings

Meetings every other week provide managers an opportunity to share information


on department activity and allow the CAO to provide information on meeting organizational goals.

Daily Staff Interaction Small office means that staff can easily communicate.

Internal human resources policies advocating for open doors and teamwork encourage active and good communication among staff.

PRINT

Council Summaries At staff meetings, all employees are provided with a summary of activities from the previous council meeting.

Brief summary allows all staff to be updated on happenings of council meetings, by‐laws enacted and upcoming events.

Management Directives from Council

Managers are provided with a list of council directives at each management meetings, divided by department

Directives provided to managers ensure that they are able to meet council goals.

E‐mails Internal e‐mails are critical for sharing information

Staff share information via e‐mail frequently and work to provide carbon copy to all impacted individuals

Information Boards Communications Boards, Health and Safety Boards

Boards and posting areas in the Township office that allow for the posting of information bulletins

Key Issues

While each of these initiatives can be reviewed in more detail as part of a full‐scale communication

audit, the following table highlights several issues as a useful starting point for discussion.

Issue Facts/Effects of Issue

Council and elected officials may be criticized for not considering the will of the public in its decision making

Rumors, speculation and misinformation abound

Potentially sensitive issues are not anticipated or appropriately mitigated

Public input is either not solicited, or the mechanism for gathering it doesn’t consider the needs of stakeholders

Social media ‘watchdog’ groups may emerge

The Township does not have a standardized approach to communicating with stakeholders.

Inconsistent approach to branding/style guides may make the Township look inept and unprofessional

Lost productivity as staff must constantly start from scratch or seek out the required


information – need basic templates

Communication needs are determined by individual managers resulting in inconsistency or lack of clarity

Each department’s communication looks different resulting in confusion for the public

Employees may not be able to find answers rapidly as required since records are still being integrated into a more easy to search digital format

People may not have access to the Township Website or alternatives and may not be able to easily navigate the Website

Loss of productivity (i.e. higher call volumes)

Navigation is dependent on knowledge of municipal operations and computer skills

Need to maintain options for people in rural areas without High Speed internet

Improve the look of the site and the accessibility of the site

The Township is still developing a corporate brand and working on building this alongside a strategic plan

Logo may be redesigned and is applied inconsistently

Township Mission Statement is not incorporated throughout many documents or departments

South‐West Oxford is still developing its strategic planning priorities

The Township is not engaging with the public in dynamic ways and is not using social media advantageously

People who are less likely to use traditional media are not able to find information that they need since their first source of information may be social media sites

Developing social media sites may allow for additional ways to contact the municipality

There is a responsibility for the Township to engage with the public in two‐way communication; social media can positively facilitate this exchange

Failure to have a presence on social media may result in resident’s groups creating their own pages and propagandizing mis‐information.

Communications Priorities for Customer Satisfaction

COMMUNICATION PRIORITY SCOPE SPECIFIC CONCERNS

Developing consistent marketing

material/messaging

EXTERNAL ‐ need for better corporate branding – all departments to share in costs of this venture ‐ marketing lacks a clear strategy and products are


developed on an ad hoc basis to meet a specific need‐ materials lack a consistent format/style/font; templates should be developed to help improve consistency ‐ would benefit from formatting/style guide for all Township communications

Improving availability of marketing

materials

EXTERNAL ‐ need better mechanism for making marketing materials available ‐ have more interactive web material (forms that can be filled out online, troubleshooting materials online, submit queries directly through web, etc.)

Clarifying processes and making

them clearly understood

INTERNAL/

EXTERNAL

‐ need ways to better clarify expectations for processing times, processes ‐ make Township expectations clear; ensure all departments are aware of requirements from other departments

Dispelling myths and clarifying

misinformation effectively

EXTERNAL ‐ clarifying information about Township rules and regulations in various formats ‐ dispelling myths/Township policies that are misinterpreted ‐ clarifying limitations of Township jurisdiction vs. Provincial vs. County

Promoting Township and

benchmarking

EXTERNAL ‐ improve perception of the Township by being more self‐promotional (explain how the Township compares to other municipalities, to Provincial standards, highlight achievements); need mechanisms to be more promotional

Increasing awareness about services

available

INTERNAL/

EXTERNAL

‐ increase awareness among Township staff about various services/helpful materials available from department ‐ ensure all staff know limitations, but also abilities/resources of department ‐ communicate these clearly to the public

Enable Township to communicate

individual projects and initiatives

and develop strategy for promotion

of specific programs.

EXTERNAL ‐ while maintaining a consistent marketing plan and profile, there may be a need to promote individual initiatives and engage the public for specific projects. ‐ there can be a need to communicate with the public in the short term requiring unique

Part Two: Where We Need To Go

Mission

The Township of South‐West Oxford is committed to being a leader in the development and delivery of

municipal services for the growth and well‐being of our community.

Vision

South‐West Oxford is a Township working progressively towards greater development by informing

stakeholders who in turn actively contribute to the good governance of their community and are able to

freely share information about their well‐being.


Readership By Age

Long Term Objectives

The overall goal of municipal communications is to build trust with stakeholders, and retain economic

investment through effective service delivery and reputation management.

More specifically, the communications plan has the following objectives:

Stakeholders receive timely, accurate and clear communication from the municipality

Stakeholders can easily provide input/feedback to the municipality

Stakeholders can access information in a variety of formats

Stakeholders can choose the type and frequency of information they receive from the

municipality

Stakeholders are treated with respect

Part Three: How we’ll get there

Communication and Different Media Options

There are many different communications options available to the municipality so that the Township

can reach its goal of allowing stakeholders to access information in a variety of formats. A good

communications strategy will find ways to reach the population using various mediums. While there has

been an increased emphasis on converting strictly to digital avenues

for reaching the population, there is strong data to support that print

media should not be ignored. Many people continue to

rely on community newspapers (local papers) as their

primary source for news. The highly successful and well

read Village Voice newsletter that is circulated around the

Township is proof the print marketing is still very relevant

in a rural setting. The push for a digital communications

strategy can be augmented by effective media releases in

community newspapers and news stories in the paper

circulated in the area, including the village voice and the

Township produced newspaper.

Alongside online e‐mails, online newspapers, and print media, the Township has considerable success

reaching the population via letters delivered by regular mail and by connecting directly by phone.

Anecdotal evidence showed that letters sent to holders of animal licenses yielded a higher response rate

than multiple advertisements placed in the Village Voice, Township Newsletter, Township Website, and

in the interim tax bill.

On top of the traditional letters, print and online media methods, there has been growing attention in

commercial and business sectors to use social media to reach clients. Various social media, whether it is


Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or the like, are actively used by a variety of users and provide

yet another opportunity to communicate with a wide audience. Commentators have noticed that the

social media use is not limited only to young people; people of all ages are joining social media activity.

A 2011 Ipsos Reid study showed that younger online Canadians aged 18 to 34 years (86%) are the most

likely to have a social networking profile, but other age groups are not getting left behind, as a majority

(62%) of those aged 35 to 54 now have profiles and a good portion (43%) of those 55 years and older

have one too.

Social Media Strategy

Social media is increasing in popularity and importance in our modern day culture. This trend has

allowed for two‐way communication and is moving away from the typical one‐way communication

methods. With methods such as newspapers, signage, television, this allows a party to get a message

out to a mass audience but limits the receiver’s ability to communicate back. Using social media, all

participants are able to participate and be engaged in the message. It allows receivers to share their

opinions, ideas and suggestions to the sender.

The social media portion of this strategy is developed with the intent of engaging Township residents,

customers, visitors, stakeholders and anyone who may hold a general interest with the Township of

South‐West Oxford. A presence on social media will allow staff and council to respond to concerns on a

timely basis contributing to the positive reputation of the municipality. The social media strategy will be

guided by our mission of being “a leader in the development and delivery of municipal services for the

growth and well being of our community."

Using social media methods, corporations are not targeting audiences but rather enticing interested

parties to become part of the conversation and engaged customers and citizens. The purpose of this

strategy is not solely to promote municipal messages but rather to contribute to accountable, more

transparent and more open government.

Benefits to Using Social Media

Social media can allow participants to be treated as equals and equally share their opinions on a neutral

forum, so long as the pages are well mediated and well designed. There are many benefits for the

Township of South‐West Oxford that can result from the use of a social media strategy. Social media are

the modern word of mouth. The predominance of word of mouth as a relied‐upon source of information

emphasizes the potential value of social media. Followers can passively receive information as a captive

audience, rather than having to actively seek out the traditional media such as the Township page or

web site.

They include:

Promoting an open government, transparent operations, and approachability of council members

Satisfy the public requirement for online communication


Allows easy access to reach a large, diverse audience that holds a common interest to the municipality

Allows for quick communication during crisis and emergencies

Improved monitoring for interpretation of messages

Greater engagement, idea sharing and visioning

Promote events and increase awareness of the municipalities community groups and associations

Creates a sense of authenticity

Can help attract highly talented, diverse individuals for potential positions as staff, council or community service members

Cost efficient and time efficient

Borderless

Popular among many demographic groups

Flexible

Provide factually accurate information

Risks to Using Social Media

With anything, there is always going to be a certain amount of risk involved if caution and care are not taken when approaching a new communication venture. The following can be risks or weaknesses involved with using social media:

It is a newer platform that people may not all be as familiar with as with traditional methods

Information exchange can be inconsistent and popularity patterns can change

Less control

Can be demanding

Distraction to productivity

Sensitive topics may arise

Negative things can be written about the Township

Social Media Usage in Ontario Municipalities

Redbrick Communications performed a survey among Ontario municipalities in 2012 that resulted in the

following findings:

“In April 2010, about 25 Ontario municipalities had an official presence on social media. Another

100 municipalities had signed on by August 2011. By April 2012, just under 200 municipalities

had an official presence on social media. That’s an increase of 672% over two years.” Overall, in

2012, there were 193 of 444 municipalities active on social media. 84% were using Facebook

and 69% were using Twitter.”

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario said “Municipalities are not the last organizations to

embrace social media, but they are close”. The Township of South‐West Oxford needs to develop this

strategy and implement it as soon as we can so that we can keep up with the new emerging trends and

be seen as a municipality that wants to listen and engages our interested participants.

Proposed Social Media Sites


Facebook

As the most popular and pervasive social media platform in the world, Facebook has the potential to be a very important component of the Township’s social media presence and strategy going forward. For many Ontario municipalities, Facebook is the primary social media platform used, with over 79% of municipalities having a Facebook presence. Facebook customers create their own profiles and populate their own content, which can include text, videos, images, links, and other media. Engagement with visitors is enhanced when they choose to ‘like’ the organization’s Facebook page in order to follow content there, and when they comment on it.

Twitter

Twitter is the fastest growing social network today, with over 100 million users. In a North American

survey, 47% of respondents stated they had a profile with Twitter. Of the Ontario municipalities using

social media, 74% have a profile with Twitter. One of the main advantages with Twitter is its ability to

communicate to followers quickly. Twitter is faster than other social networking sites because of its

brevity and mobile accessibility. Messages are quick to send, and quick to update. This platform is

designed for delivering short bursts of information and updates about Township news, events and other

information relevant to residents. This can be useful not only to engage in ongoing conversation to

increase community engagement but also to provide quick instructions and updates to residents during

times of emergency.

YouTube

YouTube is the most popular website for sharing videos, with 790 million users per month. In North

America, 38% of the population use YouTube regularly. Of the Ontario municipalities using social

networks, 31% include YouTube in their program. YouTube channels allow users to upload, organize

and share videos about the organization. Once uploaded, videos can be organized into different playlists

and shared over social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. The public has the opportunity to

comment on videos.

Other Social Media Sites

On top of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, there are other social media sites available to the Township,

however they are not high priorities for the municipality at this time. Social media such as Pinterest and

Instagram are not high priorities for the municipality since they are too based on visual images, however

Linked In may be useful in the future for establishing a corporate brand and accessing another

mechanism for attracting talent.

Recommended Strategy for Adopting Social Media

The recommended strategy is to create social networking profiles for the Township on Facebook and

Twitter during an initial evaluation period of approximately six months. As staff and council become

more familiar with protocols and more efficient in implementation, a YouTube channel can be added.

Posting Frequency


A successful social media program requires frequent and ongoing curating and maintenance. Content

must be fresh and relevant: it needs to be updated regularly and often. Ineffective monitoring and lack

of awareness of issues being discussed will erode public confidence. Failing to respond to questions

from residents in a timely manner can frustrate followers and diminish the overall impact of the social

media program. With that in mind, and based on the experience of other municipalities and established

best practices, the following protocols are recommended as part of the Township`s social media

strategy.

Facebook: It is recommended to establish a routine schedule of one to two posts per week to create

consistency, maximize awareness and deliver timely responses to comments and messages.

Twitter: In order to establish an ongoing presence worth visiting, and to create a following among

stakeholders, it is recommended that the Township tweet original content one to three times a day and

monitor on‐line conversations and respond/retweet in a prompt manner.

YouTube: A YouTube presence may be created six months after Facebook and Twitter are launched and

videos would be posted as they become available. A Township channel would be created when that is

appropriate based on content.

Posting Protocols

Addressing Negative Comments

The Township encourages all stakeholders and interested parties to share and discuss their opinions

provided that all comments remain respectful. The Township site administrator responds to questions

and comments that are consistent with the Township’s guidelines and policy, and does this within a

reasonable timeframe. Some level of criticism is expected, and this presents an opportunity to

participate in the ongoing conversation, correct misinformation and deliver service. Negative comments

should be responded to using constructive feedback rather than censorship. It is sometimes

appropriate, within the professional judgment of the site administrator, to allow public commentary to

take its course without Township intervention.

External links

Content that contains links to other external sites are permitted providing they link to: committees of

Council and local volunteer boards, including sites for volunteer fire fighters; established non‐profit or

public Oxford County organizations recognized by and endorsed by the Township; other governments

agencies; educational institutions. The Township will not link to sites of political parties or candidates

during an election year.

Unsuitable Content

Any content that includes the following content will be removed immediately upon retrieval: • Profane, abusive, threatening, hateful or defaming comments • Comments suggesting illegal activity • Sexual content or links to sexual content


• Advertisements from any financial, commercial or non‐governmental agency • Information that may compromise the safety of anyone or anything • Public disclosure of confidential information • Religious or political content • Viruses, harmful software, malware • Content promoting a candidate for election • Any other content that is deemed unsuitable by a reasonable party

Key Stakeholder Contact List

Critically, an important first step for the Township communications strategy is the creation of a key

stakeholder contact list. A database will be created including contact information for various

stakeholders including their names, mailing addresses, e‐mail addresses, phone numbers, geographic

interest area, and also key service areas that they may be interested in receiving updates about.

Through the Township website and in person at the Township office, stakeholders are able to opt into

being included in this database used exclusively internally by staff for the purpose of communications.

Special Project Roll Out

Throughout the operations of the municipality, there may be various special projects that involve a

unique communications roll‐out and additional marketing effort to promote the Township initiative. For

example, the Township’s strategic planning initiatives, special public meetings, unique Township

achievements, or similar initiatives may require additional marketing beyond the typical

communications mechanisms. Special projects will be promoted using the following techniques, used in

combination at the discretion of the Township CAO:

Publication of a special newsletter and communications brief (circulated either by e‐mail to key

stakeholders as found on the key stakeholder contact list or circulated by mail to key

demographic)

Development of media lines, FAQs, and news release for the initiative

Creation of a page on the Township Website promoting information about the initiative

Creation of a page on Township social media sites with opportunity for commenting from public

Hosting of a public meeting to share findings and solicit feedback from stakeholders

Publication of additional marketing materials (fridge magnets, brochures, business cards,

pamphlets, etc.)

Township Newsletter

Presently the Township produces a newsletter mailed out twice annually to all residents. At this point

the newsletter features articles from all different departments and includes general information items

from each department. Moving forward, Township newsletters will be organized around a common

theme with contributions from each department. Since the Township is working on developing

additional media products and improving the website and social media presence, items of general


knowledge will be well broadcast through these avenues. The newsletter provides an opportunity to

communicate information about a special interest and area to the residents of the community, since it is

one of the few communications devices that is intended only for those who actually live in the

Township.

Elected Official Web Blogs

To keep people engaged in the Township website and to prevent the content on the site from becoming

stale, elected officials with the municipality will contribute to online web logs. Intended to be short

journals from each councillor and mayor, the contribution content can be created at the discretion of

the council member. These blogs allow for elected officials to express any ideas or items of interest and

to solicit feedback from the public online. Each councillor may choose to write about an event occurring

in their ward or may opt for a topic that impacts the entire municipality. The Mayor’s blog will be

updated monthly and the councilors will provide an update quarterly, which will be administered

through the website through the Clerk.

Part Four: Communications Improvement Implementation

The following tables outline actions the Township should take during the next year to realize each of

these objectives.

Goal Initiative Responsibility Time Frame/Deadline

Measures of success

Stakeholders receive timely, accurate and clear communication from the Township

Develop and maintain key stakeholder contact list

Administrative Assistant Finance Department

Q4 2015 Improved relations with stakeholder groups; lower time for contacting

Establish policies regarding plain language and reading level

Clerk Q1 2016 Lower call volumes

Make reference materials available to front line staff; FAQs for each department.

All Managers Q4 2015 Frontline Staff can respond more efficiently and effectively to inquiries with standardized responses

Mayor’s Blog Developed – Updated Monthly

Mayor & Councillors

Ongoing – beginning in Q3 2015

Elected officials able to communicate


Councillor Ward Updates – Updated Quarterly

with public frequently

Identify and publicize good news stories and actions taken in response to citizen concerns

All Departments Ongoing Positive comments made about the municipality; min. of 1 news release per month


Measures of success

Stakeholders can easily provide input/feedback to the municipality

Establish protocol for responding to information requests

Clerk with Direction from All Departments

Q4 2015 Responses are tracked and targets met when timelines established; prepare marketing materials to promote these timelines

All forms to be PDF fillable for maximum convenience and response rates

Clerk Q2 2016 Increased rates of participation and online submission of applications

Regularly solicit input and feedback from stakeholders via email survey – feedback survey to key stakeholders

All Departments Ongoing At least one survey a year from each manager

Work to increase staff visibility in the community and Increase attendance and appearances at various events

All Departments Ongoing Ensure all staff and elected officials are aware of community events and make Township representatives recognizable through the use of uniforms or professional name tags with logos


Establish Social Media Pages (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube Channel)

Clerk Q4 2015 Follow the recommendations of the social media strategies contained in this communication plan to create pages on the different sites and being updating and responding to stakeholder concerns.


Measures of success

Stakeholders can access information in a variety of formats

Include updates in the Village Voice every other month

Clerk Q3 2015 Positive responses from recipients of newsletter

Publish YouTube videos for Township interests

All Departments Q2 2016 Analytics re: viewing; minimum two videos per year

Establish a protocol for maintaining brochure racks

Administrative Assistance Finance Department

Q3 2016 Current information is available and on display and accessible

Residential welcome package from department available in new homeowner packages and on website

Building By‐Law Assistant, Revenue Officer, Clerk & Management

Q1 2016 Reduced questions from new homeowners

New business information packages available and update of Township Business Directory

Building By‐Law Assistant, Revenue Officer, Clerk & Management

Q2 2016 Interested small business owners can collect professional looking package from Township with all information and forms for starting a new business



Measures of success

Stakeholders can choose the type and frequency of information they receive from the municipality

Develop e‐newsletter and other opt‐in communication options

All Departments Q2 2016 At least 6 emails sent out ;

Regular, relevant social media posts (distributed through all departments)

All Departments Ongoing Content is liked, shared and commented on weekly


Measures of success

Stakeholders are respected

Professional communication standards are established (including standard signatures, standard voicemail messages, font and style guide policies etc.)

Managers Q3 2016 Staff compliance at the department level achieved immediately following standardization

Logo and photo usage guidelines developed (developed alongside policy for plain language and style guide)

Managers Q1 2016 Only approved logos/photos are used in department publications

Standardized templates are developed for Township communication (i.e. letters, forms, powerpoint, ad hoc signage)

Clerk/CAO Q1 2016 Staff compliance

Staff is trained and using Laserfiche to file information and is able to access information rapidly to respond to client concerns and stakeholder requests

Clerk Ongoing User feedback is positive regarding access to information and rapidity of responses.

Monitor media and social media for

Clerk Ongoing Contentious issues are nipped


emerging issues in the bud

Track most common information requests

Front Line Staff (Administrative Assistant in Finance Department and Building Departments)

Ongoing Share information between departments and collaborate on solutions

Communications audit/survey/evaluation schedule

All Departments Annual Engage the public in testing various communication approaches


Part Five: Implementation Timetable

SEPTEMBER 2015

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Township Newsletter Sent to

All Residents

1 2

3 4

7 8

9

10 11

News Release ‐ September

14

15

16

17

18

21

22

23

24

25

28

29

Mayor Blog Submitted & Council Blog Submitted

30


OCTOBER 2015


Village Voice Article Submitted

1 2

News Release – October

5 6

7

8 9

12

Launch of Facebook Page and Twitter Account (1 Twitter Post per Day, 1‐2 FB Posts per week).

13

14

15

16

19

20

21

22

23

26 27

Mayor Blog Submission

28

29 30


NOVEMBER 2015


2

3

4

5 6

News Release – November

9 10

11

12 13

16

Logo finalized, uniforms/shirts ordered, name tags ordered.

17

18

19

20

23

24


25

26

27

Key Stakeholder contact list developed

30


DECEMBER 2015



1

2

3 4

News Release ‐ December

7 8

9

10

Front line staff have reference

materials (FAQs, Talking Points)

11

14

15

16

17

Protocol Established for Responding to Information Requests

18

21

22

23

24

25

28

29

Mayor Blog Submission Council Blog Submission

30

Year End Communications Audit Complete

31


JANUARY 2016


1

4 5

6

7 8 News Release ‐ January

11

12

13

CAO Survey

14

15

18

19

20

21

22

25

26


27

Logo and Photo usage guidelines developed

28

Plain language policy/style guide completed

29


FEBRUARY 2016



1 2

3

4 5

News Release ‐ February

8

9

10

11 12

15

16

17

Standardized Templates developed for Communications (letters, forms, powerpoint, signage)

18

19

22

23


24

25

26

29


MARCH 2016



All Residents

1

2

3 4

News Release ‐ March

7 8

9

10 11

14

15

16

Fire Survey

17

18

21

22

New homeowner welcome packages created.

23

24

25

28

29


30

31


APRIL 2016



1

4 5

6

7 8

News Release ‐ April

11 12

Launch of YouTube Channel & First Video

13

14 15

18

All forms converted to PDF fillable form and available online.

19

20

21

22

25

26


27

28

29


MAY 2016


2

3

4

5 6

News Release – May

9

10

E‐Newsletter sent out

11

12 13

16

17

18

Building Survey

19

20

23

24


25

26

27

30

31


JUNE 2016



1

2 3

News Release ‐ June

6 7

8

9 10

13

14

15

16

17

20

21

Business owner information packages created.

22

23

24

27

28


29

30


JULY 2016


1

4 5

E‐Newsletter Sent out

6

7 8 News Release ‐ July

11

12

13

Works Survey

14

15

18

19

20

21

22

25

26


27

28

29


AUGUST 2016



1 2

3

4 5

News Release ‐ August

8

9

10

11 12

15

16

Establish protocols for maintaining brochure racks and in office postings

17

18

19

22

23

24

25

26

29

30


31


SEPTEMBER 2016



All Residents

1 2

News Release – September

5 6

7

8 9

12

13

14

Finance Survey

15

16

19

20


21

22

23

26 27


28

29 30


OCTOBER 2016



3

4

5

6 7

News Release ‐ October

10 11

12

13 14

17

18

Second YouTube Video

19

20

21

24

25


26

27

28

31


NOVEMBER 2016


1

2

3 4

News Release ‐ November

7

8


9

10 11

14

Professional Communications Standards Established (font, style guide policies, voicemail messages, e‐mail signatures)

15

16

Clerk Survey

17

18

21

22

23

24

25

28

29


30


DECEMBER 2016



1 2

News Release – December

5 6

7

8 9

12

13

14

15

16

19

20

21

22

23

26 27


Council Blog Submission

28

29

Year End Communications Audit Complete

30


Part Six: Implementation Implications – Staff Time and Resources

CommunicationsTask

StaffMemberResponsible

EstimatedStaffTime

Requirements

AdditionalResourcesor

Costs

Comment

TownshipNewsletter

Clerk (with submissions from department heads and Community Groups)

Clerk Time – 21 hours per newsletter

‐ paper cost ‐ printing cost (price per unit printed) ‐ postage to send newsletter ‐ Approximate total cost is $825.00 = $1,650.00 annually

Existing communications effort, no additional inputs required (2015 saw a reduction in cost by printing and designing in house)

MonthlyNewsRelease

Clerk Clerk Time – 1 hour monthly

Release to be sent digitally to media outlets

MayorBlog&CouncillorBlog

Elected Officials Clerk Time – 0.25 hour monthly to post on website

Time commitment required from elected officials

VillageVoiceArticles

CAO CAO time – 0.5 hour every other month

Advertising Costs $100.00 for a ¼ page ad, every 2 months = $600.00 annually

Creationof:FacebookPage&TwitterPage

Finance Administrative Assistant & Clerk

Finance Admin ‐ 3.5 hours Clerk – 1 hour to review

FacebookPostingandMonitoring


Finance Admin & Clerk – 0.5 hours per week combined

TwitterPostingandMonitoring


Finance Admin & Clerk – 0.5 hours per week combined

LogoFinalized,uniforms/T‐Shirtsordered,Nametagsordered

CAO CAO time – 14 hours

Graphic designer Costs for shirts, name tags, uniforms dependant on preferences

Items to be included in budget.

KeyStakeholderContactList

Finance Administrative

Finance Admin Time – 35 hours


Developed Assistant

FrontLineStaffReferenceMaterials

Department Heads & Managers

Each Manager – 7 hours

ProtocolEstablishedforRespondingtoInformationRequests

Clerk Clerk Time – 7 hours

YearEndCommunicationsAudit


Surveys(everyothermonth,developedbydifferentmanager)

Department Heads & Managers

Survey Development = 3.5 hours, once per year, per manager

Sent by e‐mail to recipients on the key stakeholder contact list.

LogoandPhotousageguidelinesdeveloped

CAO CAO Time – 14 hours

PlainLanguagePolicy/StyleGuidecompleted


StandardizedTemplatesDeveloped

Finance Administrative Assistant

Finance Admin Time – 7 hours

NewHomeownerWelcomepackagesCreated

Building Administrative Assistant, Revenue Officer

Building Administrative Assistant Time – 35 Hours Revenue Officer Time – 7 hours

Printing costs (may opt to print professionally/ glossy)

YouTubeChannelLaunch

CAO (with assistance from Department Heads)

Manager Time – total 35 hours

Optional costs to hire professional firm for film work

ConversionofFormstoPDFFillable


E‐Newsletters CAO, Clerk CAO/Clerk Time – 2 hours per edition (6 per year, 12 hours annually)

Sent by e‐mail to recipients on the key stakeholder contact list.

BusinessOwnerInformationPackages

Finance Administrative Assistant, Revenue Officer, ROEDC

Total staff time – 35 hours

Printing costs (may opt to print professionally/ glossy)


EDO

ProtocolsEstablishedforMaintainingBrochureRacksandOfficerPostings

Finance Administrative Assistant

Finance Admin Time – 3.5 hours

Option to purchase new brochure racks or display areas

ProfessionalCommunicationsStandardsPolicyEstablished


Documents

Prepared for Council – September 1, 2015 · enforcement, property taxes and assessment inquiries, road maintenance and construction, garbage and recycling removal, parks and recreation,