Learning from Communications Reviews

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LGCommunications Workshop

• Learning from Communications Reviews
• - IDeA Peer Review Case Study
• Darren Caveney
• Head of Communications
• Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
• Wednesday 18 March 2009

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Learning from communications reviews - IDeA peer
review case study

• Firstly, some introductions
• 45 minutes to explore the murky world of
  communications reviews
• Share my experiences
• Answer questions
• An interactive approach so feel free to join in
• The outcome? You decide to review or not to
  review

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Learning from communications reviews - IDeA peer
review case study

• Brief Background So wheres my team?!
• Joined Walsall Council October 2007
• Walsall had gone from a zero star to a three
  star authority in 5 years
• Inherited just two full time staff
• Team had been passed from Directorate to
  Directorate
• Staff had left
• Communications Budget had been utilised
  elsewhere

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Learning from communications reviews - IDeA peer
review case study

• We just want you to put a press release out,
  though
• 12 months of putting basic building blocks back
  in place
• Recruitment of some key staff
• Talked up the importance of strategic and
  coordinated communications
• Fought for budget (but still lost some)
• Invested in training, in processes, in software,
  in people
• Assembled a small but quality team punching
  above their weight
• What next?

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Learning from communications reviews - IDeA peer
review case study

• Dont worry, this isnt a news story
• Used the IDeA when at Sandwell Council
• Spoke with them about the challenges at Walsall
• From my brief they proposed a peer
  communications review
• (only once been previously carried out by the
  IDeA)
• Gained agreement and funding to deliver the
  review

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Learning from communications reviews - IDeA peer
review case study

• A bespoke review informed by the IDeAs
  developing Communications Peer Challenge model,
  and reputation project
• The peer team developed a framework with headline
  themes
• - Ambition
• - Resources
• - Communication channels
• Outcomes
• The members of the peer challenge team were
• - Councillor Alan Jarrett, Deputy Leader, Medway
  Council
• - John Sellgren, Director of Comms, Hertfordshire
  County Council
• - Lynda Fothergill, Head of Communications, South
  Tyneside Council
• - Peter Rentell, IDeA Review Manager

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Learning from communications reviews - IDeA peer
review case study

• Phase 1 research and benchmarking
• Phase 2 three days on site to conduct
  interviews and discussions with
• Councillors (all parties)
• Officers (friends and foes)
• Partners
• Local media
• Campaign exercise for the communications team
• Supplied a wealth of information and statistics
• Culminated in a presentation to Cabinet and our
  Executive
• Management Team high level initial findings
• Phase 3 Full report and
• recommendations

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Learning from communications reviews - IDeA peer
review case study

• So, how was it?
• Interesting
• They were honest
• Told us where we were strong, where we were weak
• Make sound recommendations for improvements
• Suggested areas that required additional
  resource (which was one of
• my desired outcomes, of course)
• Made an impression on our members and senior
  officers

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Learning from communications reviews - IDeA peer
review case study

• Would I recommend it?
• It worked for us
• Didnt necessarily tell us huge amounts that we
  didnt already know
• Importantly, it confirmed our thoughts and
  beliefs
• Told members and staff we were doing a good job
• Told members and staff we needed additional
  resources
• Led to us looking to recruit a dedicated
  internal communications
• officer
• Given momentum to us developing a council-wide
  MarComms
• strategy
• Delivered a wealth of benchmarking data (15
  nearest comparators)
• Boosted morale of the team

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Learning from communications reviews - IDeA peer
review case study

• Over to you - Questions?
• __________________________________________________
  _____
• Contact details
• Darren Caveney, caveneyd_at_walsall.gov,uk, 01922
  653007
• Or
• Pete Rentell, Improvement Manager, IDeA
• peter.rentell_at_idea.gov.uk
• Tel [phone]