GWP Communications Workshop: Developing a Communications Strategy December 9-13, 2013 Bratislava, Slovakia Monday, December 9 Session 0900-0930 Welcome and Introductions Structure, Content, and Goals of Workshop Steven Downey, GWPO Head of Communications 0930-1030 GWP Central and Eastern Europe: What we do, why, and what we ve learned Richard Muller, GWP CEE Regional Coordinator (Presentation followed by discussion) Website Training Helene Komlos Grill, Senior Communications Officer, and Martin Löfgren, Web Communications & IT Strategy Officer This training is for those who have not had it, and for those who would benefit from a review. Those who know how to use the CMS can help coach the new people. If you have issues you want addressed, please email Helene and Martin as soon as possible. You can also raise issues during the session, of course. Partners Database Martin Löfgren and Helene Komlos Grill In order to increase the use of this platform we are offering further training Bring your regional logins: if you do not have it, request from Martin! Knowledge Management and ToolBox Danka Thalmeinerova, Senior Knowledge Management Officer 1600-1730 Visit to the Regional Secretariat followed by social event Dinner own arrangements Global Water Partnership (GWP), Global Secretariat, Drottninggatan 33, SE-111 51 Stockholm, Sweden Phone: +46 (0)8 522 126 30, Fax: + 46 (0)8 522 126 31, e-mail: gwp@gwp.org
Tuesday, December 10 Introduction of Green Ink trainer: Jeremy Cherfas Introducing ourselves to Jeremy: We introduce ourselves and identify one specific communications challenge each of us face Course Overview Communications for change The role of communications in furthering an agenda. Why do we need to communicate and who do we need to communicate with? Introduction to strategic communications Objectives of the strategy development process Context SWOT analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Be prepared to discuss what these are in your region Objectives Setting communications objectives that align fully with, and help to achieve, the objectives of the organisation. What behavioural changes will further the organisation s and the region s, and the program s objectives? Exercise: define your strategic objectives Review objectives Audiences Who needs to take the action and make the change that we want to see? Actions What kinds of things can we ask our audience to do? For monitoring purposes, we want to be able to detect whether they have done it. Messages 1600-1730 Exercise: message development Review messages 1900 Dinner own arrangements
Wednesday, December 11 Review previous day Audience personae Exercise: create an audience persona Review audience personae Exercise: what is the action? Review actions Channels and products Where do target audiences get their information? We need to identify how best to reach the audience, which channels they use and which most influence them. We also need to identify the kinds of products that will be most effective. Mainstream media Social media Online communication Direct communication Exercise: tailor the message and choose the medium for one audience Review message and medium What you admire and explain why 1600-1730 Be prepared to present an item of communications and explain why you admire it. Item is deliberately vague. It might be a website, a newsletter, a press release, a video Anything that you feel exemplifies a good piece of communication. It can be from any organization. 1900 Dinner together at Bratislavsky Mestiansky Pivora
Thursday, December 12 Review previous days Influence pathways Target audiences are the people we want to reach. Are they also the people whose decisions matter? If your project s goal is to communicate in order to change behaviour, then you should consider who influences the decision makers. For politicians, it may be voters, or the politician s personal assistant, or newspapers. The quickest route to your goal may be indirect. Exercise: map influencers Review influence maps Monitoring Monitoring is vital because it enables you to adjust course. Building monitoring and evaluation in at the start ensures a greater likelihood of success. Exercise: devise metrics Review Metrics Bringing it all together: the communications strategy, a template Exercise: draft (or revise existing) communications strategy One-on-one coaching Present strategies and review These will probably not be fully finished. Nevertheless, it should be possible to see the basic building blocks and how you have answered the questions on which any strategy will be based. 1600-1730 Discussion Wrap-up, evaluation, and group photo Participants to complete a brief questionnaire and share any thoughts on the overall experience. 1900 Dinner own arrangements
Friday, December 13 Visit to Vienna 0815 Check out of hotel and meet in lobby 0830 Departure for Vienna 1000-1100 Morning Break Presentations on Communications Strategies Followed by discussion 1000-1300 International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR ) Susanne Brandstetter, Communication Expert from the Ministry of Life (Austria) and Chair of the ICPDR Public Participation Expert Group WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) Konstantin Ivanov, Head of Regional Communications, WWF Danube- Carpathian Programme 1400-1430 Closing Session Steven Downey Follow up actions and conclusions Field Trip followed by Closing Dinner together at Mini Restaurant