Transcript Slide 1

e PMA Consultoria
www.pma.com.br
Public Sector
Crisis Communications Best Practices
Diana Jonas, PMP
Director of Canadian Operations
Director of Communications
Project Management Institute
Government Specific Interest Group
(PMI GovSIG)
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Overview
PART ONE - About GovSIG
• The Government Extension
• Our Communications Team, Awards, Achievements
• Communications Best Practices, GovSig magazine, Video, Website
PART TWO - Public Sector Crisis Communications - the least you need to know
• Legislative Framework, Process of Crisis and Emergency Management
• Before – Preparedness, Communications Plan, During – Response
• Crisis Response lessons learned, After - Recovery
• More Standard Components of Communication Planning:
• strategy, audiences designated spokespersons, media relations
• Questions
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
About GovSIG
The only PMI SIG devoted to improving the quality,
art, and practice of project management in
government at all levels:
federal
state/provincial
local/municipal
Not only in North America - internationally
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Global Presence
• Over 2,000 international members
• Represents over 25 different countries
• Board of Directors, entire SIG comprised of
PMI members & volunteers actively working
on government projects around the globe
• Multi-cultural, virtual team
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Government Projects are Unique
• Subject to Legal Constraints
• Accountable to Public
• Utilization of Public Resources
• Initiated for Public benefit not
ROI
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Government Extension - details
• Identifies world-wide accepted standard practices for government
projects
• Presents Public sector approach and constraints to private
industry partners, enabling better public-private sector
partnerships
• Scope expanded to all forms of Gov’t & types of funding
• Performance Based and Gateway Funding as specific
Government Quality Planning Tool
• HR: Organizational structure, Collective bargaining agreements,
economic conditions, Civil service system, Preferences and
restrictions, Hybrid Staffing
• Constraints and assumptions in communications
• Obligations as a scheduling factor
• Controls – spending authority and public accountability
• New budget techniques
Editorial Team 2008
Communications Director
Diana Jonas, PMP
News Digest Editor
Ani Hovnanian, PMP
[email protected]
[email protected]
Managing Editor
GovSIG Magazine
Norm Helewa, PMP
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Awards
2006 Component of the Year Award
(SIG Category II)
Winner: GovSIG
2006 Component Leadership Award
Winner - Margareth Carneiro, PMP
2006 Component Award for Volunteer Leader of the Year
Winner - Diana Jonas, PMP
2003 PMI SIG of the Year: Gov-SIG
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Achievements
• Documenting the SIG’s hard won gains to compile three award
packages in 2006 was a considerable feat
All three Award packages submitted for
consideration at the Global Congress in 2006 won
• Evidence of the SIG and the communications team’s
dedication, compliance with best practices
√ TIP: Awards are often ‘communications wins’. They reflect
the ROI of investing in strong communications strategies!
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Reciprocal Agreements
• GovSIG has reciprocal agreements with these media
and content sharing partners
• GovSIG has developed
partnerships with public sector
periodicals
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Communications Best Practices
• Use available templates
• Follow the PMI Communications
Style guide whenever possible
• The Handbook is intended to assist communicators in
the Project Management Institute (PMI) to achieve high
quality and consistency in written, electronic and voice
communications with each other, as well as with
members, vendors, customers and stakeholders to
enhance the professional image of the SIG and PMI
• It is extremely important to portray a stable, dependable,
professional image for PMI. PMI’s goal is to achieve the
highest level of professionalism and quality in all of its
communications
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
GovSIG Magazine Value Proposition
• Accepts articles of interest specifically focused on implementation of
public sector projects
• Advances the principles and practices of project management while
promoting the exchange of information among Government
professionals
• Publications and events disseminate discussion of project
management problems, solutions, applications and opinion
• Provides members and readers with practical tools, techniques and
information while serving as a forum for discussion of emerging
trends and issues
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Other Media – Video ‘ Big Results’
Purpose, benefits of producing a music video are three fold:
1. Video is currently being screened around the world in the
PMI community as a fun and highly original way to
celebrate International Project Management Day
2. Significant team bonding exercise, provided recognition,
helped raise the SIG profile within the PMI community
3. Highly effective marketing tool, draws members of
the project management community attending events
to the SIG’s table, improves the branding of the SIG
as a fun SIG to join and/or volunteer with
http://www.internationalpmday.org
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Website
• Phase 1 included a major redesign of the
GovSIG website which occurred in 2006
• Phase 2 is on hold pending transformation
of the Virtual Communities Transformation Project
http://www.pmi-govsig.org
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Part Two
Public Sector Crisis Communications
The least you need to know!
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Legislative framework and
policies
Communications Policy of the Government of
Canada (2002)
 Designed to ensure that communications throughout the
government are properly coordinated and effectively managed
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Process of Crisis and
Emergency Management
• Before – preparedness
develop communications plan
• During - response
activate the communications plan
• After – recovery
maintain communications with media and partners
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Before - preparedness
develop a communications plan
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Communications Plan
• provides strategic guidelines and tactics
necessary before, during and after crises
or emergencies
• plan will help responders to have the same
terms of reference and reactions during the
response
• determines the designated spokespersons,
target audiences, facilities and training needs
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Communications Plan
• A well developed communications plan should:
 define response strategies that can be implemented
when a crisis or emergency occurs;
 assign communications resources and
responsibilities;
 outline techniques for defining target audiences and
messages; and
 enable communications managers to launch public
information and media relations campaigns during a
crisis or emergency.
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Communications Plan
• complex and unusually loaded with implications
• tends to be inaccurate, contradictory and incomplete during
crisis and emergencies
• often breakdown in normal communications channels
• provides strategic and tactical guidance required, before,
during and after
• should parallel and support the overall crisis and emergency
management plan
• should be developed with the response team, agreed to by
all major players
• helps all potential responders have the same terms of
reference, same reflexes during the response
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
During - response
• activate the communications plan
• quickly prepare the official position of
the lead department
determine how interested media could be in the situation
choose and inform the designated spokesperson
draft and coordinate the transmission of the
government’s message
prepare what the media needs
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Crisis Response – lesson learned
• React and work with the media
• first reaction of main spokesperson had most
determining effect on public attitudes
• provide adequate response (not too extreme), pre-empt
other perceptions, reassuring, situation ‘in hand’
• outline immediate steps already taken, don’t give
impression all answers solutions readily available,
describes as it is understood at the time, open and
transparent relationship
• present clear, accurate and timely information, solely based on
known facts to minimize speculation media are prone to
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Crisis Response – lesson learned
• Ensure ongoing communications
• maintain a constant, coordinated flow of information to
dissipate confusion and uncertainty inherent in crisis
• key – lead department must clearly identify its target
audiences and base the communications on them
• internal audiences includes partners who will be consulted,
informed, and fully integrated in order to draw on same
sources of information used for operations in order to mesh
communications activities aimed at the common target
audiences
• the media are external audiences, means of transmitting
information to the public, also includes interest groups,
other levels of gov’t, NGOs, private sector etc
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
After - recovery
maintain communications with media and
partners
 official declaration that the crisis or emergency is
over
 keeping in touch with the media and partner
organizations (lead department)
 process of organizational learning, crises can
have positive or negative effects on both the
professional and public image of an
organization, seize the opportunity to conduct a
formal review, what worked well and
what did not
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
More Standard Components
of Communication Planning
strategy
• audiences
• designated spokespersons
• media relations
•
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Communications Strategy
 public’s perception of the government’s control of the situation
will hinge on communication, must be proactive, fast
 i.e compressing approval stages and cutting through
normal procedural red tape, strategic planning involves
anticipation, “worst case scenarios”
 set out policies, procedures and obligations,
hierarchical reporting framework, accelerated sign-offs, flow of info
 i.d. individuals, R&R, backup and infrastructure
 institutionalize the principle of the designated spokesperson,
i.d. primary and alternates
 make sure plan includes media monitoring and public opinion tracking,
aids in strategic positioning, new products
 test your plan, train managers, conduct drills to test communications
system in multiple regions, establish performance standards and targets
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Audiences
 knowing your audiences is critical, media is one of them
 external: general public, special interest groups, technical press,
strategic partners
• set up networks and develop contact lists now, i.d. info needs
 internal: minister, partners, own organization, pay particular attention
to their concerns and agendas, consult, keep informed and included
 don’t forget your own staff – otherwise speculation & rumours abound
 direct joint communications activities at mutual target audiences
 prepare government positions, Q&As for Question Period
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Designated Spokespersons
 concept of Designated Spokesperson is absolutely CRITICAL to
crisis communications
 ensures that a consistent message is being delivered to external
audiences, ONLY he/she should speak to media
 must be informed and recognized limits of his/her authority
 each response team should pick several spokespersons in
advance, with access to training and simulations
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Media Relations
 not handling but WORKING with the media
 pressure cooker environment, relationship, ability to
respond quickly and effectively to media requests will
directly affect the way the story gets reported
 the way audiences form perceptions about how crisis
is being managed
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Media Relations
 establish a network, inventory media community, media contact list
 media requirements – who, what, where, when, why and how, anticipate
least-expected, most-expected questions
 real audience is the PUBLIC not media
 be available, 24 hour rotating phone duty
 be proactive, never speculate, if you don’t have all the
facts say so
 stay on the record
Project Management Institute
Government Specific
Interest Group (GovSIG)
Questions