Best practices from the Netherlands

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• Best practices from the Netherlands
• Planning and implementing government communication

Friday, November 28
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Pieter Borsboom (1967)

• University degree in Economics
• 16 years public communications
• Of which 7,5 years managing director
  communication agency
• Education of professionals (SRM)
• Since 2005 independent consultant interim
  manager communications

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Clients
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Today

• 09.30 Planning government communication an
  overview
• 10.30 Coffee break
• 11.00 Analyze it! Whats the communication
  challenge?
• 12.30 Lunch
• 13.30 Tax and Customs Administration, Arjan
  Hoeffnagel
• 15.00 Group work Whats the communication
  challenge?
• 16.00 Plenary reports and discussions
• 17.00 Closing remarks, questions
• 17.30 End of day 1

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Tomorrow

• 09.00 Formulate it public communication strategy
• 10.30 Coffee break
• 11.00 Ministry of Transport, Public Works and
  Water Management, Koos Tamis
• 12.30 Lunch
• 13.30 Group work Whats the communication
  strategy?
• 14.30 Plenary reports and discussions
• 15.15 Tea break
• 15.30 Implementing it do it, check and adapt
• 17.00 Closing remarks and questions
• 17.30 End of day 2

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• An overview
• Planning and implementing government communication

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Government has several policy instruments

• Legislation laws, rules
• Law enforcement fines, punishments
• Financial measures taxes, excise duty,
  subsidies, benefits
• Capacity measures (extra) human resources
• .. and communication

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Many reasons

• Informing the public about a new law in
  preparation
• Making the public
• familiar with rights or duties
• consider certain topics
• Influencing the public behaviour
• Improving the image of government

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And even more reasons

• Putting a subject on the publics agenda
• Making stakeholders talk or cooperate (Famous
  Dutch Poldermodel)
• Influencing the publics political opinions

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Policymaker

• My subject is of great importance and interest
  of everyone.
• Therefore everyone has to know everything about
  it, including all the nuances...
• ...and everybody has to know why it is the way
  it is.

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Public

• Whats in it for me?
• Is this important/interesting?
• What are they telling me?
• What are consequences for me?
• Do I have an advantage?
• Is this worth my time or money?

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Communication professional

• For whom is this really relevant and of
  interest?
• What do they think about it?
• What is the big picture?
• In what way is this related to...?
• Is there budget for communication?

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Communication has to do two things

• Bring the outside world to the inside world and
  vice versa
• To attribute meaning to plain information
• (Roelf Middel)

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Four related key concepts
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What does this (new) policy mean?

• Who needs to know what about it?
• Who needs to think how about it?
• Who needs to do or act?

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Strategic choices

• Positioning the subject (naming)
• Key message (promise, proof, tone)
• Who is sender of communication?
• Target group segmentation
• Resource strategy (media, activities)
• Designing a communication process according to a
  time schedule

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Analyze it

• Be clear about what it is
• Look at the relevant context and relations
• Establish the role of communication

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Formulate strategy

• Formulate the key message
• Decide on the target groups
• Choose activities, media, instruments

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Do it

• Make a time schedule
• Budget all activities
• Organise whos doing what
• Realisation/implementation
• Creativity
• Production
• Media buying

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Check and adapt

• Measure (before and after)
• Evaluate (qualitative and quantitative)
• Adapt strategy or actions

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Case WAO becomes WIA

• A new Disability Benefits Act
• Impact on all social partners
• Introduced in 2003
• By the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment
• Agency Tappan Communicatie in association with
  TMP Worldwide

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• Analyze it!
• Whats the communication challenge?

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Analyze it - questions

• What is the social issue?
• What is the proposed policy?
• Who are the stakeholders?
• What is the potential role for communication?

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• Is it something communication can fix?
• At its own strength?

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Analyze the issue

• What is it?
• Whats the history of the issue?
• What are facts on the issue?
• What is known about the issue?
• What are related issues?
• What is the communication history?

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Balkenende II government

• The proportion of people in work can be
  increased by reducing the number of those who are
  unable to work through sickness or disability, by
  increasing the incentives for unemployment
  benefit claimants to find work, ... We need to do
  so if we are to maintain a good system of basic
  social provision in the Netherlands that meets
  modern needs.
• Policy Statement, June 11, 2003

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The current WAO (1967)

• Disability Benefits Act
• Meant for paid employees
• If you become (partly) incapable of work
• You can receive state benefits
• Unlimited in height and duration

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The current WAO, 2

• Doesnt stimulate going back to work
• Cheap way to get rid of employees
• WAO population grows and grows
• And has become far too expensive
• WAO hopeless case, will never go back to
  work

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Becomes WIA (2006)

• WIA Law Work and Income according to your
  ability to work
• Passes houses of Parliament in 2005
• Effective as of January 2006
• UWV, the social security agency, will execute the
  WIA

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Hands off of our WAO!

• Several cabinets tried changing the WAO, with
  loud protests as result
• So proposals were being withdrawn

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Analyze the policy

• What is in essence the solution proposed by the
  government?
• What is it? A new or adapted policy plan, a new
  programme or a law?
• What are the instruments used?
• What is the ultimate goal of the proposed
  solution?
• Good or bad news? For whom?

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The new act WIA

• Reduce numbers, limit growth
• Improve prevention activities
• Stimulate the return to work
• Everybody who is (partly) able to work, has to
  work (partly)
• Those who are 100 incapable of work, will
  receive benefits

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Further more

• Employers have to continue salary payments for
  two years after the employee became incapable of
  work
• Incapable employees who (partly) work, receive
  additional benefits.
• Employers and employees have a common
  responsibility regarding prevention and
  reintegration

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Analyze the players
Player Point of view Interest Power Baseline Communi-cation role
1.
2.
3.
...
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Sorts of players

• Influencers
• Decision makers
• Suppliers
• Users
• Implementers

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Relevant players - external

• Employees (15yrs-65yrs)
• Employers (public and private)
• Current WAO-population
• UWV, assurance companies and companies aimed at
  reintegration
• Organizations for employees
• Organizations for employers

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Dont overlook the internal players

• You might need them, in different phases of your
  communication plan
• They can be ambassadors
• Endorsing your message

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Relevant players - internal

• Relevant civil servants ministry of Social
  Affairs and Employment (policy, press and public
  information service)
• Relevant civil servants ministry of Health,
  Welfare and Sport (policy, press and public
  information service)

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Analyze the communication elements

• How big is the knowledge gap?
• How big is the attitude gap?
• How big is the behavior gap?
• Are the target groups identifiable?
• Is there a blank sheet or are there relevant
  points to be taken into account?

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Use SWOT
Strengths Weakness
Opportunities Threats
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Conclusions for communication

• Whats the task at hand for communication?

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Conclusions for communication

1. A complicated message with serious consequences
2. The message isnt all new, but its
   tougher/stricter
3. Diverse and large target groups
4. Ambitious goals combined with a relatively small
   (media-)budget

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Case

• Arjan Hoeffnagel
• Ministry of Finance
• Tax and Customs Administration

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• Group assignment
• Whats the communication challenge?

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Assignment

• Form groups
• Read the handout and discuss it with your group
• Prepare a short presentation (10 minutes),
  answering the questions on the handout
• Include the reasoning behind your answers