Communications Audits/Planning

SAE Communications was established to help local public agencies analyze their existing communications efforts and create strategic plans that support goals and objectives. We've married the needs of the public sector with the proven approaches of the private sector to help agencies educate, inform and listen to their publics. Here's our approach:

• Step 1 – Conduct external stakeholder interviews
  Purpose: To gain an qualitative understanding of the perceptions of community leaders, to gain buy-in to the process/plan through their early participation, to develop an inventory of all relevant communications tools (such as local media, organizational newsletters, special events, etc.), and to gain an accurate external perception of the City's operations.
• Step 2 – Conduct internal stakeholder interviews
  Purpose: To gain an understanding of how City issues are perceived by its leadership and staff.
• Step 3 – Conduct resident/business focus groups
  Purpose: To gain an understanding of how City issues are perceived by a broad range of community members.
• Step 4 – Conduct employee survey
  Purpose: To gain a quantitative and qualitative assessment of employee perceptions of the City's communications vehicles and processes.
• Step 5 – Audit existing internal and external communications tools and local media coverage
  Purpose: To gain an inventory of existing City tools for analysis, including message consistency, appearance, communications effectiveness, representation of all employees, and representation of all community segments; and to gain an understanding of breadth, balance, and accuracy in City media coverage.
• Step 6 – Develop external/internal strategic communications plan
  Purpose: To provide a clear blueprint for future City communications activities so that the City may reach, and hear, external and internal audiences in the most creative and efficient manner possible.

Audit/Communications Planning Experience

Provide ongoing communications counsel for City programs; serve as regular media relations/key message delivery trainers for staff.

Developed strategic communications plan; conducted media relations/key message delivery training for staff, provide implementation of plan tactics.

Developed strategic communications plan, conducted communications audit.

Developed strategic communications plan, conducted communications audit, developed restructuring plan for the Public Information Office.

Riverside's mayor felt the city was ready to move to the next level of communications and marketing sophistication, but wanted a clearer picture of what specific tools were being used, how they were being distributed, and whether city departments and outside organizations were coordinating their efforts. SAE Communications conducted a thorough audit of all tools which were intended for public distribution, held in-depth one-on-one interviews with council members and key opinion leaders, and held focus groups with residents and business operators. The audit resulted in a menu of key recommendations for enhancing the city's community relations, government affairs, economic development marketing, and media relations programs.

Davis' city manager felt the city needed to review the communications tools in place to determine their effectiveness and see if additional tools might formalize the process of two-way communications. A series of interviews with department heads, city staff, elected officials and representatives of the community identified many successful programs in place, as well as uncovered ways that money could be saved by better using existing tools. A comprehensive public information plan was prepared by implemented by SAE Communications, with staff acting as a member of the public information team.

The City of Santa Barbara felt their numerous public information activities would benefit from an overall coordination effort designed to ensure all efforts reached the right audiences and were as efficient and effective as possible. SAE Communications was retained to conduct a communications audit and prepare recommendations for improving coordination.