Communications and Marketing

Communication Planning Process

A strategic communication plan provides a roadmap to ensure that resources of the organization are used efficiently and effectively in reaching its goals. The process for developing the plan answers three basic questions:

• What does the group want to achieve with its communication program?
• What is the current environment which it is operating?
• How will the organization get to where it wants to be?

The following information, which would be obtained through interviews with staff, board and other interested parties, provides essential elements needed to construct a useful plan:

• An audit of the organization’s current communication tools and the way they are being used
• Assumptions about internal and external forces influencing communication
• Identification of organization goals to be addressed by the communication program
• Identification of priorities, including target audiences that are important to the organization

Plan Outline:

1. Communication goal
2. A situation analysis –including opportunities and challenges
3. Primary and secondary audiences
4. Objectives and benchmarks
5. Positioning statement—themes and messages
6. Implementation strategies
7. Action plan with timelines and resource impacts (both budget and staff implications)
8. Evaluation strategy
9. Communication Tools
10. Key community contacts
11. Other supporting information